SAD leader Bikram Majithia’s bail dismissed in drugs case

He surrendered before court in Mohali on Feb. 24 and sent in judicial custody till March 8

A trial court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a case related to illicit drugs smuggling and allegedly harbouring offenders involved in the drugs trade.

Mr. Majithia surrendered before the court in Mohali on February 24 and sent in judicial custody till March 8. He applied for regular bail but it was dismissed by the court. 

Mr. Majithia’s counsel, Arshdeep Singh Kaler, said the court rejected the regular bail application. “We will approach the High Court after receiving the detailed order,” he stated. 

Last month, the Supreme Court, in a direction, gave protection to Mr. Majithia from arrest in the case till February 23. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana ordered Mr. Majithia to surrender before the trial court and seek regular bail. He approached apex court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail application.

The Punjab police have registered FIR under Sections 25 (allowing premises etc to be used for commission of an offence under the Act), 27A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) and 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 against Mr. Majithia at the Bureau of Investigation (BoI) in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali).