Bikram Majithia case: Facing flak, AAP replaces SIT head

Tribune News Service

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, May 21

Drawing flak for little headway in the investigation into a drug case against former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia, the Punjab Police today replaced the head of the special investigation team (SIT).

IGP (Patiala range) MS Chhina will now head the SIT in place of DIG-cum-Vigilance Bureau Director Rahul S. The orders in this regard were issued by the Director of the Bureau of Investigation of the Punjab Police.

Timeline

Dec 20, 2021: Majithia booked under NDPS Act; SIT formed

Feb 24, 2022: SAD leader surrenders, sent to Patiala jail

March 20: AAP govt appoints DIG Rahul S as SIT head

August 10: Majithia gets bail

April 10, 2023: Alleges AAP not presenting challan to delay case

The other members of the SIT will, however, remain the same. They include AIG-rank officer Ranjit Singh Dhillon, Raghbir Singh (DSP, STF, Rupnagar) and Amarpreet Singh (DSP, Kharar-2). IG Gursharan Singh Sandhu will continue to supervise the progress made by the probe team. This is the second time the SIT probing Majithia’s alleged role in helping drug smugglers has been reconstituted.

Majithia was booked during the Congress regime in December 2021. The first SIT was headed by AIG Balraj Singh. After the AAP government took over in the state, it replaced AIG Balraj with IG Rahul S. However, the SIT failed to submit a challan against Majithia.

Tardy investigation

This is the 2nd time the SIT has been recast to ensure that a challan is filed

1st SIT led by AIG Balraj Singh; was replaced by DIG Rahul S after AAP came to power

Earlier, Majithia had claimed innocence saying the police had no proof against him due to which it could not submit any challan. He had demanded the cancellation of the case saying the government was playing politics by neither submitting a challan nor cancelling the case. Majithia had spent over five months in Patiala Jail in the case.

Reacting to the change in the SIT, Arshdeep Singh Kler, chief of legal cell, SAD, said there was nothing new as the AAP government was forcing officers to toe its line. He termed the exercise as part political vendetta.

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#bikram majithia #drug menace #punjab police #shiromani akali dal