In a development that has reignited political tensions in Punjab, the state Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday arrested senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia on charges of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The arrest, following simultaneous raids at 25 of his properties across Punjab, stems from ongoing investigations linked to a high-profile drug-trafficking case filed against him in 2021. According to sources in the VB, an FIR has been lodged in this regard.
The fresh charges are linked to ongoing investigations stemming from a 2021 drug-trafficking case filed during the Congress government’s tenure. Investigators allege that financial records and suspicious transactions connected to Majithia revealed major inconsistencies, prompting the registration of the new case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
It is worth noting that Majithia had previously been granted bail in the drug case, registered under sections 25, 27A, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. He was initially arrested in February 2022 and spent several months in jail before being granted regular bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August that year.
The Supreme Court later upheld the bail in April 2025, but barred him from influencing witnesses or commenting publicly on the case. Majithia had been questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in March this year too about alleged hawala operations and suspicious financial dealings tied to narcotics syndicates.
A tweet by Majithia in Punjabi reads in English as “Raid on my house shows the blunders of Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal. Vigilance forcefully entered my house this morning. The press was not allowed in and lawyers were also pushed around. The Aam Aadmi Party government is violating the law. Bhagwant Mann ji, your threats cannot silence me. I will always raise my voice for Punjab and Punjabis.”
His another tweet in Punjab translates into English as “I had already said long ago that when the Bhagwant Mann government found nothing against me in the false drugs case, they would now prepare to file a new false case against me. Today, a team led by the SSP of Vigilance raided me. Mr. Bhagwant Mann, understand this — no matter how many cases you file, neither will I be afraid, nor will your government be able to silence my voice. I have always raised issues concerning Punjab and will continue to do so. I have complete faith in Akal Purakh and Guru Sahib. In the end, truth will prevail.”