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HC dismisses Majithia’s bail plea in drugs case
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drugs case registered against him in Mohali on December 20
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drugs case registered against him in Mohali on December 20.
Majithia, who now faces arrest, will have to approach the Supreme Court for interim protection from arrest.
On dismissal of the bail plea, his lawyer, senior advocate RS Cheema, even requested the court to give him three days to challenge the high court order before the apex court and enable him to file nomination papers. The demand was opposed by the state citing some judgments, but high court bench of justice Lisa Gill observed that she would consider it in the final order, which is awaited. The nomination process in Punjab starts on Tuesday.
Majithia is the brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the brother of former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Majithia was booked under Sections 25 (punishment for allowing premises), 27 (A) (whoever is financing any activities pertaining to narcotic drugs) and 29 (party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on December 20. On December 24, a Mohali court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea following which he had moved high court. On January 10, the high court asked him to join the probe on January 12 and gave interim protection. A day after this, Majithia who remained underground for 20 days, surfaced and had joined the probe.
The high court had again given him interim protection from arrest to Majithia January 18 and also asked him to cooperate in the probe. Directions were given in the wake of Punjab Police complaining before the high court that Majithia did not cooperate in the probe, even though he joined the investigation on multiple occasions.
The state government had roped in former Union minister and Supreme Court lawyer P Chidambaram, while apex court lawyer Mukul Rohtagi with senior advocate RS Cheema represented Majithia. On Monday, Rohtagi could not appear.
In his plea, Majithia termed the FIR an “election stunt” and alleged that the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government had changed three Punjab Police chiefs in three months to get this FIR registered. The plea also accused Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu of indulging in “unwarranted propaganda” and deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa of demonstrating “intense hatred” towards Majithia. In fresh application, which was taken up on Monday, Majithia had claimed that the sole intention of registering the FIR against him was to take him into custody and torture him.
Punjab Police, in its response, had said that the government machinery was used for the benefit of drug cartels during the Akali regime in the state. Majithia was a key minister in the Akali government and it was during the SAD’s term that the cartel was unearthed, the police submitted. The SIT also said incriminating material had come on record against Majithia. SIT had also submitted a sealed cover report on the probe before the bench.
