VB arrests Majithia in DA case after raid at Amritsar house

The vigilance bureau on Wednesday arrested senior Akali leader and ex-cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case. The arrest came after a team of over 30 vigilance officials conducted a raid at his residence in Amritsar.

The FIR was registered under Section 13 (1)(b) and Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, said the bureau.

The fresh FIR against Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, stems from findings during the ongoing investigation into a 2021 drug-trafficking case registered against him under the Congress government. Officials involved in the probe claimed that financial documents and transactions linked to Majithia revealed significant discrepancies, prompting the vigilance bureau to take action under the PC Act.

Majithia is expected to be produced in the Mohali court on Thursday, and the court has granted his lawyers permission to meet him.

According to the FIR, Majithia accumulated vast wealth, properties and business interests in his name and in the names of his family members, which appear to be grossly disproportionate to his legitimate sources of income. The VB claimed preliminary investigations revealed that more than Rs 540 crore of “drug money” has been laundered through several channels allegedly facilitated by Majithia.

Majithia is already out on bail in the drug-trafficking case registered under Sections 25, 27A, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Prosecutors had alleged that he provided logistical and financial support to key figures in the Punjab drug racket, including Jagdish Bhola, Maninder Singh Aulakh, and Jagjit Singh Chahal.

30 mobile phones, five laptops, three iPads seized, says VB 
The bureau seized more than 30 mobile phones, five laptops, three iPads, two desktops, several diaries, property-related documents during the raid, it is learnt.

During the raid, the vigilance team from Mohali faced protests by Majithia and his wife Ganieve, an Akali MLA, who accused the officers of barging into their house in Green Avenue on Wednesday morning.

Sukhbir, Harsimrat and many senior Akali leaders also lashed out at the AAP government in Punjab over the raid at Majithia’s residence, calling it a “political vendetta”. A similar raid was conducted at the couple’s Chandigarh residence as well.

A VB spokesperson said in a statement that assets, both movable and immovable, in the names of Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur increased substantially, for which no legitimate sources of income were provided. Stating that a DA case has been registered against her husband, Ganieve Kaur told reporters in Amritsar, “We will continue to fight. People will stand with Majithia.”

The raid was led by Swarandeep Singh, AIG, flying squad, VB, Mohali, who was reinstated last month after a suspension. Singh is also the complainant in the FIR registered against Majithia at 4:40 am on Wednesday. In March, the SIT claimed that it found “suspicious financial transactions” in firms linked to Majithia and his family.

The SIT also expanded its investigation to scrutinise financial transactions abroad, it said in March. The vigilance spokesperson said the probe by the SIT and the bureau revealed huge unaccounted cash worth Rs 161 crore deposited in bank accounts of companies controlled by Majithia, channelisation of Rs 141 crore through suspected foreign entities, excess deposition of Rs 236 crore without disclosure or explanation in company financial statements, and acquisition of movable and immovable assets by Majithia without any legitimate source of income.

Akali leaders raise slogans against AAP govt

As the news of the raid spread on social media, Akali leaders and supporters headed towards Majithia’s residence and raised slogans against the Bhagwant Mann government. However, a heavy police force was deployed on the road leading to Majithia’s house, with no one allowed to pass the barricades.
As a team of officers entered Majithia’s house, Ganieve Kaur asked them, “What is happening? I want to know what is going on... How did you barge into my house without my knowledge?”

Claiming that the vigilance department lodged a fresh FIR on Tuesday night, Majithia said, “They forcefully entered my house. If they wanted to register an FIR in a DA case, they could have given a notice. It is very clear that they (AAP) are rattled.” “Bhagwant Mann ji, understand this... No matter how many FIRs you register, I will not be afraid nor can your government suppress my voice,” Majithia said. RELATED REPORTS

REFERENCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES