‘Rs 540 crores drug money laundering’: Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia arrested in disproportionate assets case; after raid at Amritsar house | Chandigarh News
AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia was was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau (VB) from his residence in Amritsar on Wednesday within hours of his being booked in a disproportionate assets case at Punjab State VB police station in Mohali at 4.40 am. W hen the vigilance team, led by senior superintendent of police (VB) Lakhbir Singh, descended on Majithia’s house in Amritsar’s Green Avenue, there was a verbal confrontation between Majithia and the team, videos of which have been shared by Majithia on social media. Majithia alleged that the entire operation was being carried out due to political vendetta, and repeatedly asked mediapersons to record the raid. Majithia is the brother-in-law of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.Addressing the media briefly outside their residence, his wife, Ganieve Kaur, who is the sitting MLA of SAD from Majitha assembly constituency, alleged that the vigilance team forcibly entered their house and behaved roughly.The FIR against Majithia, as per the VB, was registered based on investigations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the drug case against the SAD leader registered in 2021 and probe by the VB. A bureau spokesperson said, “Investigations by the SIT probing the FIR no. 02 of 2021 registered in Police Station Punjab State Crime and the Vigilance Bureau revealed “massive laundering of drug money facilitated by Majithia. Preliminary investigations revealws that more than Rs 540 crores of drug money was laundered through several ways…”The VB spokesperson stated, “The VB has registered a case based on a report of the SIT investigating FIR No. 02, dated Dec 20, 2021, registered under sections 25, 27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act 1985 at PS Punjab State Crime, SAS Nagar (Mohali) wherein substantial evidence has been uncovered indicating massive laundering of drug money by Majithia.”Also read: Vigilance sleuths raid house of SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia in Punjab, wife confronts officials over forced entry; probe onThe VB spokesperson added, “So far, Rs 540-crore drug money has been tracked as having been generated illegally and by using the influence of Majithia as a public servant, being an MLA and holding a cabinet post in the erstwhile Punjab govt.”The FIR against Majithia mentioned, “The explanation/statement provided to the SIT is baseless and cannot be considered as unrealistic figures have been mentioned…”It also read that, “The assets created and the expenses incurred by Majithia for 2007 to 2012 show that there is no explanation for the source of income for acquiring the assets.” According to the VB spokesperson, “Searches and seizures have been conducted by the SIT on 22 persons and by the Vigilance Bureau at three locations which have yielded over 30 mobile phones, 5 laptops, 3 iPads, 2 desktops, several diaries, many property documents and many documents of Saraya Industries.“In Mohali, his lawyers Arshdeep Singh Kaler and H S Dhanoa were allowed to meet the Akali leader for an hour in the evening at the bureau’s headquarters. The bureau later confirmed that Majithia will be produced in court on Thursday. A large number of SAD supporters gathered outside the bureau’s office, raising slogans against the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab govt. The area was turned into a virtual fortress with multiple barricades, road closures, and restricted public movement.
