Bikram Singh Majithia, prominent Shiromani Akali Dal figure and ex-Punjab cabinet minister, faces continued detention as the Supreme Court adjourns his bail application in the disproportionate assets probe to February 2. The court allowed the prosecution two weeks to respond, rejecting urgent interim measures.
Counsel for Majithia flagged jail vulnerabilities, prompting judicial queries, yet no immediate orders issued. Arrested June 25 after Vigilance Bureau sweeps across 26 premises—including his Amritsar base—yielded crucial evidence like gadgets, titles, and accounts. Remand periods led to judicial custody at Nabha since early July.
Filed August 22, the mega 40,000+ page chargesheet details 200 witnesses, rooted in 2013’s Rs 6,000 crore synthetic drug network revelation via ex-DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola’s disclosures. Narcotics angles dismissed, emphasis now on graft and laundering.
Multi-state inquiries (Punjab to Delhi) pegged illicit holdings at Rs 700 crore, incorporating Akali and BJP voices. Bureau defends timely filing. This stall intensifies pressure on Majithia, whose fate hinges on the apex court’s upcoming verdict amid Punjab’s charged political landscape.