In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Bikram Singh Majithia, a former minister and prominent leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating a drugs case filed against him. The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Aravind Kumar, which mandated Majithia’s appearance at the SIT headquarters in Patiala at 11 am on March 17.
This decision comes after the Punjab government accused Majithia of non-cooperation in the ongoing investigation. During the hearing, Majithia claimed that the allegations against him were politically motivated, and he sought the Supreme Court to specify interrogation dates to ensure transparency.
Responding to these developments, Punjab’s Advocate General Gurminder Singh emphasized the importance of cooperation in the investigative process as a crucial condition for maintaining bail status. “We direct the respondent (Majithia) to appear on March 17 before SIT Patiala at 11 am. If further investigation is required, the respondent should appear on the next scheduled date at the same time and fully cooperate with the investigative proceedings,” the court stated.
The apex court’s ruling overturns a previous decision by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had granted bail to Majithia on August 10, 2022, citing “reasonable grounds” to believe in his innocence, though this was specifically in the context of the bail adjudication and not the overall merits of the case.
Majithia had been incarcerated for over five months in Patiala Jail in connection with these charges, which stem from a 2018 report by the Anti-Drug Special Task Force (STF). The STF report was based on confessions from various accused individuals, including Jagjit Singh Chahal, Jagdish Singh Bhola, and Maninder Singh Aulakh, during their interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate. The involvement of such high-profile figures has added layers of complexity to the case.
Bikram Singh Majithia is closely tied to powerful political figures in Punjab, being the brother-in-law of SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal and the brother of former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. His case continues to attract significant attention, highlighting the ongoing struggle against drug trafficking in the state.
