New Delhi, March 4- The Supreme Court has ordered Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia to appear before the Punjab Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on March 17 for questioning in a drug case. A bench headed by Justice JK Maheshwari has asked Majithia to appear at the SIT’s headquarters in Patiala on March 17 for questioning. “The officers can question him and complete the investigation. And if necessary, Majithia will have to appear at the same time on March 18 as well.” The bench will hear the matter next on March 24.
A case was registered in 2018 against Bikram Singh Majithia, a close relative of former Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and brother of Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, in connection with a drug smuggling racket in the state based on a report by the Anti-Drug Special Task Force (STF). The Punjab government has challenged in the Supreme Court the August 10, 2022 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in which Majithia was released after spending more than five months in Patiala Jail in a drug case. Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh had sought cancellation of Majithia’s bail on the ground that he was refusing to cooperate in the investigation. Singh said that Majithia was asked some questions through a written questionnaire, which the Akali leader refused to answer. Majithia’s lawyer, meanwhile, replied that his client was being harassed for political reasons. However, Majithia's lawyer said that his client is ready to appear before the investigating agency for two days. The Supreme Court on January 31, 2022, had granted protection from arrest to Majithia till February 2023, as the Akali leader was to contest elections from the Amritsar East assembly constituency on February 20. Earlier, the Supreme Court had directed the Punjab Police not to arrest Majithia in the drug case till February 23, 2022, so that he could participate in the election campaign. However, he was later directed to surrender before the trial court.