Mohali: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia continues to face mounting legal troubles as a Mohali court on Friday extended his judicial custody till November 1 in the disproportionate assets case.
Majithia, who is currently lodged in Nabha Jail, appeared before the court via video conferencing, where the judge ordered the extension of his custody. This means the former Punjab minister will spend Diwali behind bars.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau had arrested Majithia on June 25 from his residence in Amritsar in connection with allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
Since his arrest, the Akali Dal leader has been under judicial detention as investigations continue into the alleged accumulation of wealth beyond his declared income.
The extension of his custody marks another setback for Majithia, who has been one of the prominent faces of the Shiromani Akali Dal and has faced multiple cases in recent years.
The Vigilance Bureau had arrested Majithia on June 25 from his Amritsar residence after reportedly uncovering evidence suggesting financial irregularities and undisclosed property holdings. He was later remanded to judicial custody in Nabha Jail, where he remains under detention.
The case against Majithia is part of a larger crackdown initiated by the Punjab government’s anti-corruption wing, which has been investigating several political figures for alleged misuse of power and accumulation of unaccounted wealth.
Political Background and Previous Cases
Majithia, a senior SAD leader and brother-in-law of former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, has been one of Punjab’s most influential politicians. He has previously held key portfolios, including Revenue and Transport, in the state cabinet.
He has also faced multiple legal battles, including a 2014 drug trafficking case filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, though he was granted bail in that matter in 2022.
Despite the ongoing cases, the Akali Dal has maintained that the charges against Majithia are politically motivated, aimed at weakening the opposition in Punjab.
