Punjab HC To Hear SAD Leader Bikram Majithia’s Plea Against Arrest In Rs 540 Cr Drug Money Case
Thanks for studying this submit, do not forget to subscribe!
Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom will hear SAD chief Bikram Majithia’s plea on July 4 difficult his arrest and remand in a Rs 540 crore drug-linked belongings case. He alleges political vendetta behind the motion.
Chandigarh: In the present day, on July 3, the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom will hear a petition filed by Shiromani Akali Dal chief Bikram Singh Majithia. He has challenged his arrest and the next police remand in a case registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), alleging he holds belongings past his identified sources of earnings.
The matter got here up earlier than Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya, who postponed the listening to by a day. The adjournment was given in order that Majithia’s lawyer, Advocate Arshdeep Singh Kler, might submit the most recent remand order issued in opposition to Majithia in court docket data.
ALSO READ: Disproportionate Assets Case: Court Extends Bikram Singh Majithia’s Remand by 4 Days
Majithia was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on June 25 in a contemporary disproportionate belongings (DA) case linked to alleged laundering of Rs 540 crore of “drug cash.”
Following his arrest, the Mohali court docket despatched him to a seven-day vigilance remand on June 26. After this remand ended, the court docket prolonged it by 4 extra days on July 3.
Majithia has termed his arrest as politically motivated. On July 1, he approached the Excessive Courtroom looking for aid from what he referred to as an “unlawful” arrest and remand.
He alleged that his arrest was an act of “political witch-hunting and vendetta” as a result of he has been a vocal critic of the present Punjab authorities.
In his petition, Majithia mentioned:
“The mentioned FIR is a results of political witch-hunting and vendetta, initiated by the current political dispensation with the only real object of maligning and harassing the petitioner who has been a vocal critic and political opponent.”
He argued that the case registered in opposition to him will not be solely baseless but in addition in violation of established authorized procedures. In keeping with the petition:
“The FIR registered in opposition to him is patently unlawful” and his arrest was carried out “in gross violation of settled authorized procedures.”
Majithia additional claimed that the applying submitted by the Vigilance Bureau looking for his remand didn’t have robust proof or compelling causes. As an alternative, it was stuffed with imprecise allegations.
He acknowledged:
“The remand utility filed by the investigating company (VB) lacked any concrete or pressing investigative floor and merely relied on broad, speculative allegations such because the petitioner’s alleged affect, overseas connections, and basic statements about the necessity to confront him with paperwork or digital gadgets.”
Majithia’s plea additionally referred to a previous Supreme Courtroom order dated March 4, the place the apex court docket had declined the state authorities’s request for custodial interrogation, though the identical allegations had been introduced by means of a number of affidavits.
Also Read: Punjab and Haryana High Court Directs Punjab Government to Act Against Fake Travel Agents
As per the plea:
“The Supreme Courtroom, by its detailed order on March 4, had refused custodial interrogation of the petitioner regardless of the identical allegations being pressed earlier than it through a number of affidavits filed by the Punjab authorities.”
Majithia’s authorized crew has argued that this petition raises critical issues concerning the misuse of authorized powers, the abuse of the prison course of, and the correct of a citizen to a good investigation. The petition emphasised:
“The current petition, subsequently, raises essential questions of regulation and precept regarding abuse of prison course of, misuse of remand powers, and the correct to truthful investigation and liberty.”
Majithia has requested the court docket to cancel the remand order issued in opposition to him and take steps to make sure that the prison justice course of will not be misused.
He prayed for:
“Acceptable reliefs, together with quashing of the unlawful remand order and acceptable instructions to stop additional abuse of course of.”
The FIR in query has been registered as a part of a wider investigation into alleged cash laundering of over Rs 540 crore. The Vigilance Bureau claimed that this quantity, which is linked to drug trafficking, was routed by means of completely different channels and allegedly concerned Majithia’s position.
This new FIR is expounded to a separate probe by the Punjab Police’s particular investigation crew (SIT) right into a 2021 drug case.
Also Read: Supreme Court Rebukes Punjab Government for Failing to Implement 1996 Pension Scheme
Majithia was earlier booked in 2021 below the Narcotic Medication and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act primarily based on a report submitted in 2018 by the state’s anti-drug Particular Process Power (STF).
He had beforehand spent over 5 months in Patiala jail in reference to that case and was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom in August 2022.
Click Here to Read More Reports on Bikram Majithia
