A Mohali court on Wednesday extended the vigilance remand of former Punjab minister and senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia by four more days in the ongoing disproportionate assets case. Officials from the Vigilance Bureau informed the court that Majithia was not cooperating during interrogation and that further questioning may be conducted outside Punjab, particularly in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
A high voltage drama erupted as Punjab Police covered Court premises with Tent cloth, stopped media and Akali workers citing Law and Order situation may occur as reason to barricade all from the entering the court.
The remand extension came after a nearly four-hour-long hearing, during which the Vigilance Bureau cited multiple leads related to benami properties and unexplained wealth. The court scheduled the next hearing for July 6. In anticipation of heightened political tensions, the Mohali court complex was heavily barricaded and wrapped with tarpaulin to restrict media access and public view.
Tensions flared earlier in the day when Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal reached Mohali with party workers to protest Majithia’s arrest. As they approached the court premises, police detained Badal, triggering a heated exchange. The police cited security reasons for denying him entry. SAD workers clashed with security personnel, accusing the state government of targeting political opponents. Speaking from custody, Sukhbir alleged that “Arvind Kejriwal has taken control of Punjab” and claimed the AAP government was silencing the opposition by arresting and confining its leaders.
Majithia, arrested from his Amritsar residence on June 25, is under investigation for allegedly possessing ₹540 crore worth of assets beyond his declared income. The Vigilance Bureau initially secured a seven-day remand and later took him to Shimla on June 30 to probe a property believed to be linked to him. However, officials claimed that Majithia was uncooperative and did not provide satisfactory answers.
What the Vigilance Bureau Told the Court
Government prosecutor Preet Inder Pal Singh raised four key points during the hearing:
1. Misreporting of Shimla Property: The bureau said Majithia gave incomplete information about a Shimla-based property. Documents and on-ground assessments reportedly showed discrepancies between actual ownership and the information submitted in property deeds.
2. Undisclosed Assets in Gorakhpur and Delhi: The prosecutor said properties linked to Majithia had surfaced in Gorakhpur and Delhi. One such property — a farmhouse named ‘Sainik Farm’ in Delhi — was allegedly bought back by Majithia’s father while he served as a minister.
3. Family Involvement: Evidence presented in court reportedly showed that family members, including Majithia’s wife, were stakeholders in key properties like the Green Avenue Society in Jalandhar, where she owns a 25% share. The current market value of the family’s properties runs into hundreds of crores, the bureau claimed.
4. Money from Multiple Sources: The Vigilance Bureau argued that the wealth in question wasn’t solely drug-linked, as previously alleged. Funds were reportedly routed through various channels — formal and informal — and not all of it came through bank accounts. The origins of this money are still being investigated.
Defence Cries Foul
Majithia’s lawyer, Arshdeep Singh Kaler, pushed back strongly in court, claiming the Punjab government was creating an atmosphere of fear akin to an “undeclared emergency.” He said several SAD leaders had been placed under house arrest and accused the state of suppressing dissent.
Kaler also dismissed the Vigilance Bureau’s claims as unsubstantiated. “Despite conducting searches in Himachal, Majitha, and Chandigarh, the agency has found nothing conclusive. Now a new narrative about Gorakhpur is being floated, without any basis,” he said. He further argued that all of Majithia’s properties fall within the bounds of his declared income and no illegal or undeclared assets have been proven so far.
Regarding the alleged link to Saraya Industries in Gorakhpur, the lawyer maintained that Majithia held no official position and had never visited the site.
Sukhbir Badal’s Video from Custody
While in custody, Sukhbir Singh Badal released a video message accusing the AAP government of attempting to “collect ₹10,000 crore from Punjab in the next 1.5 years” and claimed the people of Punjab were being stripped of their democratic rights. “We will have to come together to free Punjab from Kejriwal’s grip,” he said, urging people to rise against what he termed a dictatorial regime.
He also accused the AAP government of demanding bribes for transfers and appointments of officials. “The situation is such that even SSP postings are being sold. The people of Punjab have the power to reverse this. Just like they gave AAP 92 seats, they can also ensure their forfeiture in the next election,” he added.
Bikram Singh Majithia was arrested on June 25 from his Green Avenue residence in Amritsar. Over 20 digital devices and two diaries were seized during the operation. Since then, he has been under Vigilance Bureau custody. Despite being taken to Shimla for verification of property-related claims, nothing substantial was recovered. The bureau maintains that Majithia continues to evade key questions, necessitating extended custody.
Majithia’s case has become a flashpoint in Punjab politics, with the opposition accusing the AAP government of vendetta and the ruling party portraying the arrest as a step toward cleaning up corruption and black money.
As the next court hearing approaches, the spotlight remains firmly on both the legal proceedings and the political fallout surrounding one of Punjab’s most high-profile arrests.
