Bikram Singh Majithia bail: Punjab HC issues notice to Punjab; no stay on arrest yet

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 5

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday issued notice to the State of Punjab on senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia’s anticipatory bail plea in connection with a drugs case registered against him. So far there is no stay on his arrest.

Taking up the matter, Justice Lisa Gill of the high court also fixed the case for further hearing on Monday, when the State will file a reply to the contentions raised by Majithia in his plea. The MLA and former minister in the Akali government was apprehending arrest after a case under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered at Mohali on December 20.

He moved the high court after a Mohali Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition. Majithia was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and RS Cheema, with counsel DS Sobti and Arshdeep Singh Cheema. The state was represented by senior advocate P Chidambaram.

Among other things, Majithia contended: “To target the petitioner is one of the major election planks of the current government. To fulfill its election stunt, the Congress government in Punjab has been day and night browbeating officers to register false cases against the senior leadership of SAD, including the petitioner”.

He claimed witch-hunting of political opponents was at its peak in the run-up to the polls and the Congress government in Punjab had changed three DGPs over a span of three months. The bureau of investigation also saw the change of three directors.

The petition added that police officers were forced and coerced to falsely implicate the petitioner or face transfers, charge sheets, and dire consequences. “(DGP) Chattopadhyaya also has a long-standing personal animosity with the SAD leadership and has been appointed, as is well known, to please the Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, the arch-rival of the petitioner,” the petition added.