Judge recuses himself from hearing Bikram Majithia's bail plea

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 4

Just over a month after it reserved orders on senior Akali leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia’s regular bail plea, a Division Bench today referred the matter to another Bench after one of the judges recused himself from hearing the matter. The direction was issued by the Bench of Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Sandeep Moudgil after the matter was relisted for hearing.

Case under NDPS Act

• Senior Akali leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia had moved the High Court seeking regular bail in a case registered on December 20 under the provisions of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act.
• Majithia contended in his petition that the then Congress government in the state did not leave any stone unturned to misuse its power and position to wreak vengeance against its political opponents and the petitioner was one such target.

“To be listed before some other Bench, of which one of us (Augustine George Masih, J.) is not a member. The matter be put up before the Hon’ble Chief Justice for appropriate orders,” the Bench asserted in its single-page order.

Majithia had moved the High Court seeking regular bail in a case registered on December 20 under the provisions of the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Act. Majithia contended in his petition that the then Congress government in the state did not leave any stone unturned to misuse its power and position to wreak vengeance against its political opponents and the petitioner was one such target.

“The present dispensation has also not left any stone unturned to target the petitioner further,” Majithia contended. Elaborating, the petitioner submitted that the present case was blatantly political in nature. From the date the then government, led by Charanjit Singh Channi, assumed office, its functionaries were hell bent on falsely implicating the petitioner in a case.

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