Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia has been sent to a seven-day police remand by the Mohali district court. On Thursday, he was produced before the court by the Vigilance Bureau amid a tight security deployment. A heavy police force was stationed around the court premises as Akali Dal workers have been protesting since Majithia's arrest.
Majithia was arrested by the Vigilance team on Wednesday in connection with alleged money laundering linked to drug trafficking and disproportionate assets. He has been accused of laundering over Rs 540 crore in "drug money." Before his arrest, Vigilance officials conducted raids at multiple locations including Majithia's residence in Chandigarh.
Raids at 25 locations across Punjab
Speaking on the developments, Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal stated that the state police and vigilance teams carried out searches at nine locations in Amritsar and a total of 25 places across Punjab, which included Majithia's premises. He further alleged that the drug trade issue traces back to the tenure of the Akali Dal-BJP government. "Several drug smugglers were caught during their time and gave statements against Bikram Singh Majithia, but no action was taken then," said Dhaliwal.
Akali Dal calls it 'political vendetta'
Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, is already facing a probe in a 2021 drugs case. During the raid, the vigilance team from Mohali faced protests by Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur, an Akali MLA, who accused the officers of barging into their house in Green Avenue on Wednesday morning. Sukhbir Badal, his wife and former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, and many senior Akali leaders also lashed out at the AAP government in Punjab over the raid at Majithia's residence, calling it a "political vendetta".
What did Majithia's wife say?
Stating that a disproportionate assets case has been registered against her husband, Ganieve Kaur told reporters in Amritsar, "We will continue to fight. People will stand with Majithia." The raid was led by Swarandeep Singh, AIG, Flying Squad, Vigilance Bureau, Mohali, who was reinstated last month after a suspension. The fresh FIR stems from an ongoing investigation being conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police into the 2021 drug case registered against Majithia.
