Punjab Vigilance raids SAD leader Majithia’s residence in Amritsar

Chandigarh, Jun 25: The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday conducted raids at 25 locations in the state, including the residence of senior Akali leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar, sources said.
Majithia is facing probe in a 2021 drugs case.
However, it is still unclear in which connection the raid was conducted at the residence of Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia, who is an Akali MLA, claimed a 30-member team of the Vigilance Bureau barged into their house in Green Avenue in Amritsar.
The SAD chief, his wife and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and many senior Akali leaders lashed out at the AAP government over the raid at the residence of Majithia.
As the news about the raid at Majithia emerged on social media, Akali leaders and supporters headed towards his residence and shouted slogans against the Bhagwant Mann government.
A heavy force was deployed at a road leading to the residence of Majithia with policemen not allowing anyone to pass the barricades.
Majithia’s wife Ganieve Kaur claimed a team of 30 officials forced their way into her house.
“What is happening? I want to know what is going on. How did you barge into my house without my knowledge,” she asked the officials.
Bikram Majithia also alleged that the vigilance officials “barged into” the house, “terrorising” his children.
In a video posted on X by Majithia, the former minister could be heard arguing with a vigilance official, expressing his dismay over the manner in which they entered his house.
“You have forced your way through. This is not the way,” Majithia told the vigilance team.
“I am not going anywhere. I am ready to cooperate,” he said.
In a video, Majithia lashed out at the Bhagwant Mann government, alleging that the AAP was resorting to such tactics to suppress the voice of the opposition leaders.
Majithia claimed that a fresh FIR has been lodged by the vigilance department on Tuesday night.
“They forcefully entered the house. If an FIR has been lodged, we are submitted to the law. If they wanted to register an FIR of DA (disproportionate assets) case, they could have given a notice and register an FIR. It is very clear that they (AAP) are rattled,” he said.
In a post on X, Majithia said he had earlier said that the Mann government was preparing to file a false case against him as it could not find anything against him in the drug case.
Majithia said a team of the vigilance bureau led by the Senior Superintendent of Police of the vigilance conducted the raid.
“Bhagwant Mann ji, understand this, no matter how many FIRs you register, neither I will be afraid nor your government can suppress my voice,” Majithia said.
“I have always talked about the issues of Punjab and will continue to do so,” he added.
A Punjab police special investigation team (SIT) is probing a 2021 drug case against Majithia.
The Akali leader had been summoned and questioned many times with regard to the drug case.
In March this year, the SIT had claimed that it had discovered “suspicious financial transactions” in firms linked to Majithia and his family.
The SIT probing the drug case against Majithia had expanded its investigation to scrutinise financial transactions abroad, it had then said.
Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on December 20, 2021, when the then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government was in power.
The action was taken on the basis of a 2018 report of the anti-drug Special Task Force.
The FIR was registered by the state Crime Branch at its Mohali police station. Majithia spent more than five months in Patiala jail and walked out of prison in August 2022 after the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail. (PTI)

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