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Majithia drug case: New SIT moves Mohali court to issue search warrants
Counsel of the former Punjab revenue minister also filed a plea seeking a copy of the SIT’s application; Hearing on April 5
The new special investigation team (SIT) inquiring into a drug trafficking case against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia,49, moved a Mohali court on Wednesday, seeking search warrants.
The counsel of former Punjab revenue minister Majithia also filed a plea seeking a copy of the SIT’s application and details pertaining to the locations where it wants to initiate the search. The counsel said that earlier investigating teams had already conducted searches on Majithia’s properties in 2022.
The counsel for the former minister said that the SIT needs to follow the procedure for search and seizure under section 41 NDPS. “In case the SIT wants to search properties of Majithia’s associates after four years, they have to give probable cause”, the defence counsel said.
However, the SIT and the state lawyers objected to the plea of Majithia’s lawyer, citing that it would hamper the investigation.
The matter comes up for a hearing on April 5.
After four SITs in three years failed to pin any blame on Majithia in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case registered against him on December 20, 2021, the Punjab government reconstituted the fifth SIT, led by the assistant inspector general (AIG) Varun Sharma, on March 31. The development came two weeks after Majithia was grilled by the fourth SIT in Patiala for several hours for two consecutive days in mid-March.
Majithia had taken a dig at the new SIT and called its reconstitution “a classic case of political vendetta”.
With a raft of SITs reporting no clinching evidence against Majithia so far, the Akali leader has been daring the Mann government to file a challan against him in court.
“It has been four years since the FIR was registered, and three years to the formation of the SIT, but no challan has been submitted. Perhaps, the chief minister should head the SIT. Mann is baffled and bewildered (with no outcome). I understand his predicament because I’m among the few who speak up against him despite the atmosphere of fear in the state”, he had said in a video shared on social media.
He said that with every new SIT, the rank of its chairman had been lowered. “They started by appointing a DGP-rank officer, and have now downgraded it to an AIG,” he said.
AIG Varun Sharma has replaced deputy inspector general (DIG) Ropar Range HS Bhullar. Sharma was a member of the outgoing SIT.
Majithia has appeared before the SITs more than 10 times. However, none of the SITs have reached any conclusion and have failed to file a challan against the former minister.
