Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Akali Dal (Badal) and BJP, saying the 40,000-page chargesheet filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau against top Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia has exposed drug money transactions worth ₹736.96 crore routed through a network of companies. Calling the 2007-2017 Akali-BJP rule one of Punjab’s darkest periods, he said the state’s youth and thousands of families had paid a devastating price for the spread of chitta.
The senior AAP leader warned that any attempt by BJP leader Amit Shah and Bikram Singh Majithia to join hands and extend the drug network into Punjab must be resisted, raising questions over heroin consignments seized at Gujarat ports and their supply chains. He asserted that the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government would not allow Punjab to return to those dark days, citing more than 80,000 arrests under its ongoing ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign and vowing to continue the fight to uproot drugs and protect the state’s youth.
Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has filed a 40,000-page chargesheet against Bikram Singh Majithia, detailing financial transactions worth ₹736.96 crore. The investigation has traced an extensive network of companies through which these transactions allegedly took place. The findings raise serious questions about the source of the money, the movement of funds and the corporate structures used to route these transactions.”
The senior AAP leader said, “FIR No. 22 was registered on June 25, 2025, by the Flying Squad of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, Mohali, under Sections 13(1)(e) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The investigation covers the period from March 2, 2007, to March 31, 2017. The supplementary chargesheet details the findings of the investigation and the financial transactions traced during the probe.”
He said, “The investigation has identified a network of companies through which financial transactions were routed. These include Saraya Industries Private Limited, Peregrine Saraya Organics Private Limited, S.D. Beverages Private Limited, A2Z Transport/Patiala Express, A.D. Enterprises, a proprietorship of Amardeep Singh Hunjun, Harpreet Gulati HUF (United Wines), Akash Enterprises, a proprietorship of Harpreet Singh Gulati, UW Enterprises Private Limited, A.D. Enterprises Private Limited and Akash Spirit Private Limited.”
He added, “The financial trail raises serious questions about the source of funds, their movement between different companies and the subsequent disappearance or closure of certain entities. The chargesheet details the transactions uncovered during the investigation and the corporate network through which the money allegedly moved.”
Detailing the financial findings, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The investigation has identified ₹170.39 crore in excess cash deposits in the bank accounts of Saraya Industries, ₹176.56 crore in alleged undue benefits received by the company from foreign entities, ₹127.90 crore in surplus funds, ₹16.68 crore in alleged undue benefits linked to Nawanshahr Power Private Limited, ₹194.62 crore in unexplained growth in Saraya Industries and ₹50.81 crore in unaccounted funds.”
He said, “These findings raise important questions about the source and movement of the funds and the financial transactions carried out through the companies under investigation. The 40,000-page chargesheet places the financial trail before the court, and the legal process will determine accountability.”
Launching a sharp attack on the Akali Dal (Badal) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Harpal Singh Cheema said, “The period from 2007 to 2017 was one of the darkest chapters in Punjab’s history. Chitta devastated families, destroyed the lives of young people and left countless parents struggling to save their children from addiction. At the same time, the financial dealings now under investigation raise serious questions about the wealth accumulated by influential political figures.”
He said, “Bikram Singh Majithia served as a Cabinet Minister during this period and is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was Deputy Chief Minister. The people of Punjab have every right to question how such a vast financial empire was built and how the transactions now under investigation took place during these years.”
Referring to the political promises made during the 2017 Assembly elections, Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Captain Amarinder Singh took an oath on Gutka Sahib to eradicate drugs from Punjab. However, the state continued to suffer from the drug menace. Successive governments failed to dismantle the networks responsible for the destruction caused by drugs, and Punjab’s families paid a heavy price.”
He added, “The people of Punjab cannot afford another decade in which drug networks flourish and the future of our youth is put at risk. Those responsible for the damage caused to Punjab must face accountability through the legal process.”
Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Since March 2022, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Aam Aadmi Party government has intensified its campaign against drugs. More than 80,000 arrests have been made as part of this action. We are targeting major drug traffickers, taking action against those involved in the trade and ensuring that people struggling with addiction receive treatment.”
He added, “Our campaign is directed both at dismantling drug supply networks and helping those affected by addiction recover. We are determined to protect Punjab’s youth and prevent the state from returning to the dark days of the chitta crisis.”
Questioning the BJP’s record on tackling drug trafficking, Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Repeated reports of major heroin seizures at Gujarat’s ports raise serious questions about the routes through which drugs enter the country and the effectiveness of action against trafficking networks. The BJP must answer questions about its record on this issue.”
Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bikram Singh Majithia, Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Punjab has already suffered immensely because of the drug menace. We will not allow the state to be pushed back into the same crisis. The people of Punjab want decisive action against drug traffickers and accountability from those who failed to protect the state’s youth.”
Reaffirming the AAP government’s commitment, Harpal Singh Cheema said, “Under the leadership of AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, we will continue our fight to eradicate drugs from Punjab. Our government is committed to taking strict action against drug traffickers, dismantling their networks and providing treatment to those affected by addiction.”
He concluded, “The 40,000-page chargesheet filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau has brought the financial transactions under investigation before the court. We will continue to fight drugs and work to ensure that Punjab never returns to the devastation caused by chitta.”
