Bikram Majithia’s aide Gulati arrested in DA case, named as co-accused
Gulati allegedly facilitated illegal financial transactions between Majithia and liquor firms Akash Spirits, UV Enterprises, and AD Enterprises and further helped the politician acquire properties in Shimla and Delhi, using funds that were not accounted for in his declared income.
The vigilance bureau has arrested liquor contractor Harpreet Singh Gulati, a close aide of former Punjab minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia, in connection with the ongoing disproportionate assets (DA) case against the senior politician.
According to investigators, Gulati allegedly facilitated illegal financial transactions between Majithia and liquor firms Akash Spirits, UV Enterprises, and AD Enterprises and further helped the politician acquire properties in Shimla and Delhi, using funds that were not accounted for in his declared income.
After recovering the financial records and evidence, the vigilance bureau arrested Gulati after naming him as a co-accused and presented him before the duty magistrate on Sunday and secured six-day police custody.
The Punjab vigilance bureau in an official release stated that there were ‘quid pro quo’ transactions between the two – Gulati entered the liquor business when Majithia became a minister in 2007 and saw a meteoric rise in his business, and Majithia built properties in Shimla and Delhi through Gulati. The spokesperson further said that since the Akali government came into power in 2007, the liquor sector was virtually “captured by political interests”. Majithia and Gulati benefitted from this influence, the vigilance stated.
The vigilance further revealed that Gulati’s firms allegedly secured liquor licences at Majithia’s instance from 2008, gaining a foothold in the regulated trade and raising abuse of office concerns. Gulati’s firms allegedly paid ₹4.25 crore (2008-09) and ₹1.4 crore (2009-10) to Majithia’s companies and family, funding a Sainik Farms, a farmhouse in Delhi and family benefits. In 2014-15, another ₹5.49 crore flowed in the same way, repaying loans for Majithia-linked group entities.
“So far, transactions to the tune of approximately ₹10 crore, being pumped into the companies linked to Majithia have surfaced,” a vigilance spokesperson said.
Vigilance plea to declare Majithia’s brother-in-law Grewal a fugitive
In a parallel development, the vigilance team has filed an application in the Mohali court, seeking to declare Majithia’s brother-in-law, Gajpat Singh Grewal, a fugitive. The bureau had recently named Grewal as an accused in the DA case and added the charge of criminal conspiracy. The court is scheduled to hear the application on December 1 (Monday).
According to the petition, the vigilance bureau issued repeated notices to Grewal at several addresses, including his home in Sangrur, and his properties in Basant Vihar and Defence Colony, New Delhi, but he allegedly failed to appear before investigators.
‘ ₹700 crore disproportionate assets amassed over the years’
As per the vigilance bureau, Majithia has amassed over ₹700 crore in assets — 1,200% higher than his legally declared income. The case claims that approximately ₹540 crore of this wealth was generated through laundering of “drug money”, allegedly linked to a 2013 international drug trafficking network. The probe stems from a 2018 anti-drug special task force (STF) report and an ongoing special investigation team (SIT) inquiry connected to a 2021 NDPS Act case registered against Majithia. Although NDPS charges were quashed in 2022 due to lack of evidence, investigators continued to track unexplained financial trails. The current FIR, registered on June 25 at the Mohali vigilance bureau flying squad police station, invokes Sections 13(1)(b) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with IPC provisions for criminal conspiracy. He was arrested in June this year after raids at 25 locations, including his residence in Amritsar. His bail plea was rejected by the Mohali court, and he remains lodged in Nabha jail under judicial custody.
