Amritsar/Chandigarh (National Times): In a major development with significant political ramifications, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Wednesday arrested Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former state minister Bikram Singh Majithia following raids conducted at his Amritsar residence and multiple other properties across the state. The arrest comes under a fresh FIR registered in a disproportionate assets case.
According to senior VB officials, the raids were part of an extensive operation that covered 25 locations across Punjab, including nine sites in Amritsar district alone. The agency stated that the new FIR was the outcome of revelations made during the ongoing investigation into the 2021 drug-trafficking case against Majithia.
“The arrest was made after examining financial records and transactions that showed assets far beyond the known sources of income,” a senior official said from Chandigarh. The case has been registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, and Majithia is set to be produced before the Amritsar district court at 3 PM today.
Roots in Drug Case
Majithia, brother-in-law of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, has been under scrutiny since the 2021 drug case filed during the Congress regime. He was accused of facilitating logistical and financial support to drug lords like Jagdish Bhola, Maninder Singh Aulakh, and Jagjit Singh Chahal. Although Majithia was granted bail in August 2022 and had his bail upheld by the Supreme Court in April 2025, fresh financial evidence has now led to this new arrest.
He was last questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in March this year, especially regarding hawala transactions and suspicious financial links to drug syndicates.
“Another Fabricated Case”: Majithia Responds
Reacting strongly to the latest arrest, Majithia posted on X: “A long time ago, I had already stated that when the Bhagwant Mann government couldn’t find anything against me in the false drug case, they would try to frame me in another fabricated case… I have complete faith in the Almighty and Guru Sahib. In the end, truth will prevail.”
His wife, Ganieve Kaur Majithia, SAD MLA from Majitha, alleged that VB officers forcibly entered their home. “Thirty officials barged into our house by pushing open the doors. This is our private residence. Nobody can do this,” she said. According to Majithia, the raid began just as the family was preparing to visit the Golden Temple.
Security Tightened, SAD Protests Mount
Punjab Police has deployed commandos and set up barricades outside Majithia’s residence to ensure law and order amid rising tensions. As news of the raid spread on social media, SAD workers began gathering in protest, accusing the AAP government of vendetta politics.
While the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has yet to issue a formal comment, sources suggest that more such actions could follow as part of its ongoing anti-corruption campaign.
This marks another escalation in the deepening political rivalry between the AAP and SAD in Punjab, ahead of a politically charged 2027 election season.
