New Delhi: The release of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia is being viewed as politically significant in Punjab, with Assembly elections due in the state next year.
A Supreme Court bench led by Justice Vikram Nath questioned the Punjab government on the need to keep Majithia in jail, asking, “Why do you want to keep him incarcerated?” The court also took note of the fact that Majithia has already spent the past seven months in custody.
The Supreme Court was hearing Majithia’s petition challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s orders. Earlier, notice had been issued to the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in the matter.
Majithia was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on June 25 in a disproportionate assets case allegedly involving assets worth around ₹540 crore. During a previous hearing, Majithia had sought interim bail, citing a threat to his life.
After hearing arguments from senior advocate S. Muralidhar appearing for Majithia and senior advocate Sidharth Dave representing the state government, the bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta granted bail, stating that it was doing so after considering the overall circumstances of the case.
The court specifically noted that Majithia had already been granted bail in the NDPS case in 2022, and that the Punjab government’s plea seeking cancellation of that bail was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2025.
It further observed that Majithia has been in custody for several months, the police have already filed their report, and the disproportionate assets case relates to the period between 2007 and 2017, while the FIR was registered only in 2025 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Majithia was arrested from his Amritsar residence on June 25 and brought to Mohali. After being kept on 12 days of police remand, he was sent to Nabha’s New Jail on July 6. He had subsequently approached the Supreme Court seeking bail, following which the apex court sought a response from the Punjab government.
