Interim bail, High Court tells Bikram Majithia to join probe

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 10

Imposing certain conditions, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday granted interim anticipatory bail to senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia in an NDPS case. He was told to join the investigation.

Justice Gill lays down conditions

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• Majithia told to appear before investigating officer on January 12 at 11 am
• To cooperate and appear before probing agency as and when required
• Not to leave country till next hearing, give phone number to investigators
• Not to try contacting witnesses or anyone connected with the case in any manner

Among other things, he was asked to keep his cellphone constantly on and share with the investigating agency his live location through WhatsApp.

The order would remain in force at least till January 18 — the next date of hearing. For the purpose of joining the probe, Justice Lisa Gill gave Majithia two days, making it clear that the interim order was without prejudice to the prosecution’s right to press for his custodial interrogation, if required.

Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in Mohali on December 20 last year. He moved the High Court after a Mohali court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea. The case assumed a political hue with Majithia claiming political vendetta.

In her five-page order, Justice Gill asserted it was considered expedient at the current stage to direct the petitioner, at the first instance, to join the investigation and directed Majithia to appear before the investigating officer on January 12 at 11 am. He was told to fully cooperate and abide by the conditions, including appearance before the investigating agency as and when required.

Majithia was also directed not to leave the country till the next date of hearing, provide his cellphone number to the probing agency and not to directly or indirectly try contacting any of the witnesses or anyone connected with the case in any manner.

Justice Gill observed reliance by the prosecution, at the present stage, was primarily upon the statements of certain persons, including Jagdish Singh Bhola, Maninder Singh Aulakh, Jagminder Kaur and Jagjit Singh Chahal. Bhola stood convicted in another case while Chahal and Aulakh were acquitted.

Statements of these three persons were recorded by the ED at the first instance. As per a status report submitted by the Additional Director-General of Police, Special Task Force & Border, Harpreet Singh Sidhu, no fresh statement by Chahal or Aulakh was recorded during the inquiry. Sidhu’s statement dated December 22, 2021, was a reiteration of the status report submitted by him.

Similarly, the statement of former ED officer Niranjan Singh, dated December 22, 2021, was a narration of the sequence of events. Bhola in his statement dated January 3 had merely reiterated his earlier statement.

Majithia was represented by senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and RS Cheema with counsel DS Sobti and Arshdeep Singh Cheema.