Bikram Majithia gets relief: Punjab tells High Court custody not needed

Making it clear that Punjab’s former minister Bikram Singh Majithia’s custody was not required “as of now” in a case registered at Amritsar, the State of Punjab has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that prior seven-day notice will be served on him “in case the investigating agency requires his custodial interrogation at a later stage”.

Majithia had moved the High Court seeking the grant of anticipatory bail in a case registered on July 31 for deterring a public servant from discharge of his duty and other offences registered under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Amritsar Civil Lines Police Commissionerate. Directions were also sought to stay his arrest in the meanwhile.

As the case came up for resumed hearing before Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya, Punjab Additional Advocate-General Chanchal K. Singla with counsel Kavita Joshi furnished the undertaking on prior notice before the court. Majithia was represented by advocate DS Sobti and Savpreet Gujral

An Amritsar court had earlier dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by the senior SAD leader. His counsel has all along been contending that the case was politically motivated, and he was being falsely implicated in multiple cases to keep him behind bars. It was earlier reported in these columns that the FIR was lodged on the complaint of SSP, Vigilance, Amritsar, regarding a raid conducted at Majithia’s residence by the Vigilance Bureau in connection with another ongoing investigation under a Prevention of Corruption Act case registered at Mohali.

According to the complaint, when the Vigilance team attempted to search Majithia’s house, the accused allegedly argued with the officers, instructed supporters to call the media, and even asked them to scale the walls and enter the premises, leading to a disruption of official duties.