SC notice to Bikram Majithia on Punjab's application against bail in drugs case

New Delhi, March 17

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia on the Punjab Government’s petition against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order granting him bail in a drugs case.

A Bench led by Justice Aniruddha Bose issued the notice after senior counsel Shyam Divan, representing the Punjab Government, explained the case and highlighted the problem of drug menace in the state. Following the High Court order dated August 10, 2022, Majithia was released from the Patiala jail after more than five months. He was booked in the case on the basis of a 2018 report of the anti-drug STF.

The High Court had said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that he was not guilty as it clarified that its observation was only for deciding the bail application and the trial court should proceed independently of the observations made by it.