Punjab Vigilance Bureau Raid on Bikram Majithia's Residence Raises Questions

Chandigarh, Jun 25 (PTI): In a recent development, a senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal and former minister, Bikram Singh Majithia—currently under investigation in a 2021 drug-related case—claimed on Wednesday that officers from the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had conducted a raid at his residence. While the Vigilance Bureau has not officially confirmed this operation, it remains ambiguous as to why exactly the "raid" targeted the home of Majithia, who is also the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal chief, Sukhbir Singh Badal.

According to Majithia's spouse and Akali MLA, Ganieve Kaur Majithia, a contingent of 30 bureau members entered their home. She expressed that they were not informed of the purpose behind the raid. In a video shared by Majithia on X, individuals could be seen on his property in Amritsar, whom he identified as members of the Vigilance Bureau.

Majithia's post on X suggested that the current Punjab government, led by Bhagwant Mann, was allegedly framing false cases against him due to their inability to find substantial evidence in connection to the drug case. He claimed that a team from the Vigilance Bureau, under the leadership of the Senior Superintendent of Police, spearheaded the raid.

"Bhagwant Mann ji, understand this, regardless of the number of FIRs you file, I will neither be intimidated, nor will your government be able to silence my voice," Majithia asserted.

"I have always spoken on Punjab's issues and will continue to do so," he added.

The 2021 drug case against Majithia is under the scrutiny of a special investigation team (SIT) established by the Punjab police. Majithia has been summoned and interrogated multiple times concerning this case. Earlier in March, the SIT reported the discovery of "suspicious financial transactions" linked to businesses associated with Majithia and his family. According to the SIT, they broadened the scope of their investigation, now reviewing financial activities on an international level.

Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on December 20, 2021, a move initiated when the Congress government, led at the time by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, was in office. The basis for this action traced back to findings from a 2018 report by the anti-drug Special Task Force. As a result, an FIR was filed by the state Crime Branch at the Mohali police station. Majithia endured more than five months of incarceration in Patiala jail before obtaining bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, leading to his release in August 2022.