Bikram Majithia case: 3 accused based in Canada yet to be arrested, extradition process underway, HC told

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, May 4

More than a year after a case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act against former minister and SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was today told that three accused were yet to be arrested in the matter.

A Division Bench hearing the matter was also told that the role of all police officers, who might have directly or indirectly helped in drug trafficking or smuggling, would also be examined and the investigation would be concluded within a month.

“While conducting the investigation, all three (recently opened sealed) reports of an SIT shall be taken into account,” an affidavit filed by an Assistant Inspector General of Police stated. As the drugs menace case came up for resumed hearing, the Division Bench was also told that extradition process had been initiated against 12 accused with regard to six FIRs mentioned in a report earlier submitted by the head of the special task force.

The affidavit placed before the Bench of Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Harpreet Kaur Jeewan by Punjab Additional Advocate General Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala during the course of hearing said FIR No. 2, dated December 20, 2021, under the provisions of the NDPS Act was registered at the state crime police station, Bureau of Investigation, Mohali, against Majithia “in view of contents of the report”.

Three more persons Satpreet Singh, alias Satta, Parminder Singh, alias Pindi, and Amrinder Singh Chhena, alias Laddi Chhena, were nominated as accused in the case by a special investigation team.

It added that Majithia was arrested in the case on February 24, 2022, and was currently out on bail, granted by the high court on August 10, 2022. “The remaining three accused are yet to be arrested in this case. They are at present residing in Canada”.

The Bench was also told the extradition process had been initiated against Amarjit Singh Kooner, Lehmbar Singh, Daleh, Pardeep Singh Dhaliwal, Laddi Chheena, Pindi, Sarabjit Singh Sander, Nirankar Singh Dhillon, Gursewak Singh Dhillon, Ranjit Singh Aujla, Ranjit Kaur Kahlon, Madan Lal and Harbans Singh Sidhu.

Giving details of the status of action taken on the recently opened sealed reports, the affidavit added that Punjab’s Department of Home Affairs and Justice had asked the DGP to take action on the same.

3 SIT reports: Cops’ role to be probed in a month

• The HC was also told that role of all police officers who might have helped in drug smuggling will be examined
• The investigation, which will take into account all three reports of SIT, will be concluded within a month

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