Bikram Singh Majithia, a prominent member of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and former Punjab minister, is currently facing increased scrutiny from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a drugs case dating back to December 2021. Sources revealed today that the ED has formally requested a comprehensive report from the Punjab Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) concerning the ongoing investigation.
Majithia was initially implicated in this high-profile case in December 2021, leading to his arrest and subsequent jail term in January 2022. He secured bail in August 2022. The probe was originally spurred by a 2018 report from the anti-drug Special Task Force (STF), which uncovered details of a narcotics network within Punjab.
The ED’s inquiry extends to examining financial documents including details from 284 bank accounts and income tax returns associated with Majithia’s family businesses. The agency is also delving into various land transactions and has enlisted a financial expert to aid in the investigation.
Despite the charges, Majithia, aged 48, argues that the allegations are politically motivated. He asserts that these accusations have been thoroughly investigated by senior police officials in the past without yielding substantive evidence against him.
Majithia, a figure with deep political roots, first won the Majithia constituency seat in the 2007 Punjab Assembly elections and successfully defended it in subsequent elections in 2012 and 2017. However, he faced defeat in the Amritsar East assembly constituency following the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) sweeping victory in Punjab in 2022. He is closely connected to other significant political figures, being the brother of former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and brother-in-law of Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal. He served as a minister in the Akali Dal-led governments from 2007 to 2017.
