Days after taking over as Punjab CM, Mann forms new SIT in Majithia drugs case

This is one of the first orders issued by the Punjab Police department after Mann was sworn-in as the new chief minister of the border state.

The new government of Punjab, headed by Bhagwant Mann of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on Sunday formed a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a drug case involving Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Majithia.

Former minister Bikram Majithia.

DGP Punjab Viresh Kumar Bhawra said senior officers of the Bureau of Investigation will supervise the probe.

The new SIT will be headed by assistant inspector general (AIG) Rahul S, while other members of the team will be AIG Ranjit Singh Dhillon, deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) Raghbir Singh and Amarpreet Singh, it said.

This is one of the first orders issued by the Punjab Police department after Mann was sworn-in as new chief minister of the border state following a massive win by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the recently concluded Assembly election.

The previous SIT formed by the Charanjit Singh Channi-led government was headed by AIG Balraj Singh.

Majithia was defeated by AAP's Jeevanjyot Kaur (50), a social activist, from the Amritsar East seat along with former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

A minister in the SAD-BJP government, Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on December 20 last year.

The former minister is currently lodged in the Patiala jail and his judicial custody was earlier extended till March 22 by a Mohali court.