Chandigarh, November 1: The Punjab government’s case against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia has gained momentum after Governor Gulab Chand Kataria granted sanction to prosecute him in a disproportionate assets case tied to alleged drug money laundering.
The approval, issued under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, followed the Mann cabinet’s recommendation and legal consultation from the advocate general’s office. The sanction authorises the Vigilance Bureau (VB) to initiate trial proceedings against the former revenue minister.
VB officials allege Majithia accumulated wealth exceeding ₹700 crore—around 1,200% more than his known income—by laundering ₹540 crore allegedly linked to a 2013 drug trafficking racket. The 49-year-old politician, who has served three terms as MLA from Majitha, was taken into custody on June 25 after simultaneous searches at his Amritsar residence and multiple other locations across the state.
A day later, a Mohali court remanded him to seven days of police custody before sending him to judicial custody on July 6. The Vigilance Bureau later submitted a detailed 40,000-page chargesheet to the Mohali sessions court on August 22.
The case traces back to a 2021 FIR under the NDPS Act, which drew on a 2018 Anti-Drug Task Force report implicating Majithia for his alleged role in shielding drug traffickers. He had earlier spent more than five months in Patiala jail before obtaining bail in August 2022.
Majithia, however, maintains his innocence. “The charges are baseless and politically motivated,” he has repeatedly said in public remarks.
His regular bail plea was rejected in August this year, though he managed to secure interim protection from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in September. With the governor’s approval now in place, the trial in the Mohali sessions court is expected to resume shortly.
