New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to grant any interim relief to senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case.
During the hearing on Majithia’s bail plea, the court allowed the Punjab government additional time to file its response. The state sought two weeks to submit its reply, which the court accepted. The bench also raised questions over Majithia’s safety in jail. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on February 2.
Majithia, a three-time MLA, has been in judicial custody since June 25. He was arrested following early-morning raids at his residence in Amritsar and at 25 other locations. The vigilance team seized digital devices, property documents and financial records during the operation.
On June 26, a Mohali court sent him to seven days of police remand, which was later extended by four more days. On July 6, he was remanded to judicial custody. He is currently lodged in Nabha jail and has spent festivals including Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra and Diwali behind bars.
The Vigilance Bureau filed a detailed chargesheet on August 22, running into more than 40,000 pages and citing statements from over 200 witnesses. The case is linked to a 2013 investigation by the Enforcement Directorate, which had uncovered an alleged ₹6,000-crore synthetic drug racket.
Majithia is a senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal and has denied all allegations against him.
