Bikram Majithia's custody in the drug money laundering case has been extended by 4 days by the Mohali court. He was arrested by the Vigilance on June 25. He is accused of laundering 540 crore.
Mohali. The troubles of senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia do not seem to be easing anytime soon. A Mohali court on Wednesday, on the request of the Vigilance Bureau, extended his custody period by four more days. Majithia was arrested on June 25 in a case of Disproportionate Assets.
Appearance in court after seven days of custody
Bikram Majithia was presented in the Mohali court on Wednesday under tight security. Prior to this, he was in Vigilance custody for seven days. During this time, the Vigilance Bureau tried to gather evidence related to the case and track the money trail.
Government lawyer Ferry Soft said that the investigating agency had filed a petition to extend the custody, which the court accepted. The court sent the accused on remand for four more days. During this time, the security arrangements outside the court and the Vigilance office were very strict.
Accusation of 540 crore drug money laundering
The Vigilance Bureau claims that the preliminary investigation has revealed that Majithia laundered alleged drug money of 540 crore rupees through various means. The agency, linking it to money laundering, said that this money was used to buy properties and in other financial transactions.
This case is related to a 2021 drug case, which is being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police. According to the initial reports of the SIT, many pieces of evidence of financial irregularities have come to light against Majithia.
Arrested earlier under NDPS Act
Bikram Majithia has been arrested earlier in 2021 under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act. In that case, he was accused of protecting the drug network in the state and gaining economic benefits from it.
The 2021 arrest was based on the 2018 report of the Anti-Drug Special Task Force (STF). At that time, he spent more than five months in Patiala jail. After this, he got bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August 2022.
