It seems like legal trouble for the senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Bikram Singh Majithia does not seem to stop. In a big setback for the SAD leader, a Mohali Court on Wednesday extended his remand by 4 days. Now, Bikram Singh Majithia will have to be on the Vigilance Bureau's remand for more days. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 6.
What happened in Mohali Court during the hearing on Bikram Majithia?
As per information received, during a nearly four-hour-long hearing, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau informed the court that the SAD leader was not cooperating during interrogation. The agency further told the court that it may need to take the accused to Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, for further investigation. During the court hearing, the security was beefed up, and the entire court complex was cordoned off. To restrict visibility, barricades and tarpaulins were placed around the courtroom area.
For the unversed, Bikram Majithia was arrested from his Amritsar residence and was earlier granted a 7-day remand. The vigilance department claims that he possesses assets over Rs 540 crore, vastly disproportionate to his known income.
Lawyer Preet Inder Pal Singh, representing the Government, told the court that Majithia had submitted incomplete information regarding a property in Shimla. The deed details reportedly did not match the actual structure, prompting a visit to Shimla for verification.
The investigation revealed Majithia allegedly owns properties in Gorakhpur and a farmhouse in Delhi's Sainik Farms. The farmhouse was once auctioned and later re-purchased by his father during Majithia’s tenure as a minister.
Furthermore, a residential society named Green Avenue in Jalandhar, where Majithia’s wife reportedly holds a 25% stake, was highlighted. The Delhi farmhouse's current value is said to be in the hundreds of crores, suggesting family collusion in asset accumulation.
Contrary to prior assumptions, the vigilance counsel stated that the wealth Majithia amassed was not solely linked to drugs. Multiple undisclosed channels allegedly funneled money to him, not just through bank accounts but also alternative routes still under investigation.