The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the bail plea of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case. Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya dismissed the petition, citing the seriousness of the allegations and the potential impact Majithia's release could have on the ongoing investigation.
Majithia, a former Punjab minister, was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on June 25, 2025, accused of laundering ₹540 crore of drug money. The VB has submitted a 40,000-page chargesheet in the case. Majithia is currently lodged in New Nabha jail in Patiala. This is the second time his bail plea has been rejected, with a Mohali court having previously denied him bail.
The High Court, while dismissing the bail, has set a three-month deadline for the investigation to be completed. Justice Dahiya stated that while Majithia could not be kept in custody indefinitely, his release at this stage posed serious risks to the ongoing investigation. The court noted the possibility of Majithia influencing the investigation, tampering with records, or influencing witnesses if he were released.
The court pointed out that Majithia is accused of serious economic offenses, with investigations revealing unaccounted money in his bank accounts and the establishment of numerous companies used for surreptitious financial transactions. The investigating agency has also found that money was routed through foreign entities based in Singapore and Cyprus, with Majithia allegedly being directly or indirectly in control of these entities and the key beneficiary.
Majithia's defense argued that the disproportionate assets case is essentially a second FIR based on the same facts as the 2021 NDPS case. They claimed that the ₹540 crore, previously described as drug money, is now being re-characterized as unexplained assets without any new evidence.
The High Court rejected the argument that registering a separate FIR was irregular, stating that there was no legal bar on lodging a second FIR if separate offenses came to light during the investigation. The court observed that the investigating agency uncovered new facts that appeared to be part of a larger conspiracy pointing to Majithia's disproportionate assets and the use of ill-gotten money.
The prosecution argued that Majithia received unexplained deposits of over ₹540 crore through family entities and that cash deposits far exceeded declared business receipts. The court acknowledged the complex financial structures, multi-layered investments from foreign entities, and the siphoning of funds.
Majithia has maintained that the case against him is a result of political vendetta for his criticism of the AAP-led Punjab government. He was previously booked under the NDPS Act in 2021, based on a 2018 report by the anti-drug Special Task Force. He secured bail in that case in August 2022 after spending over five months in jail.
