In a landmark ruling, India’s Supreme Court has extended bail to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a protracted disproportionate assets inquiry, announced Monday. This development alleviates pressure on the ex-Punjab minister entangled in vigilance crosshairs.
Judges cited prior relief in the 2022 NDPS matter, where Punjab’s 2025 cancellation bid failed. The assets allegations, tied to 2006-2017 activities, saw FIR only in 2025— a lapse the court viewed as materially influencing bail merits.
Vigilance crackdown hit 25 spots on June 25, seizing tech devices, asset files, and accounts from Majithia’s Amritsar base and beyond. Remanded initially for a week, extended, he entered Nabha Jail’s judicial wing July 6.
The hefty August 22 chargesheet, exceeding 40,000 pages with 200 witnesses, pegs illegal holdings at Rs 700 crore. Extensive checks in Punjab, Haryana, HP, UP, Delhi incorporated SAD-BJP voices.
Stemming from 2013’s Rs 6,000 crore drug syndicate revelation by DSP Bhola—drug links quashed—the focus shifts to laundering and graft. Majithia’s bail reinforces principles of timely justice, prompting scrutiny of Punjab’s anti-corruption machinery amid accusations of selective targeting.