Punjab Governor sanctions prosecution of Bikram Singh Majithia in corruption case

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has granted sanction to prosecute former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a corruption case filed by the state Vigilance Bureau.

The approval, issued under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, follows a recommendation made by the Punjab cabinet on September 8.

The case accuses Majithia of possessing assets worth over Rs 700 crore, disproportionate to his declared income by around 1,200%, allegedly acquired through the laundering of Rs 540 crore linked to a 2013 drug trafficking network.

Government sources have confirmed the development.

Majithia, a three-time MLA from Majitha, was arrested on June 25 after early-morning raids at his Amritsar residence and 25 other locations. The Vigilance Bureau seized digital devices, property documents, and financial records during the operation. A Mohali court placed him in seven days of police custody on June 26, later extended by four days. He was sent to judicial custody on July 6.

The bureau filed a detailed chargesheet on August 22, supported by over 40,000 pages of evidence and statements from more than 200 witnesses. The investigation stems from a 2013 Enforcement Directorate probe into a Rs 6,000-crore synthetic drug racket led by ex-DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola, who allegedly named Majithia during questioning. Though earlier drug-related charges were dropped by the courts, the current case focuses on corruption and money laundering. Majithia has rejected the allegations as politically motivated.

His regular bail was denied in August, though he secured interim relief from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in September. The trial is set to proceed in a Mohali sessions court.