Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia has been summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with the ₹6,000-crore drug case. The SIT has asked him to appear before it on October 5.
Former Punjab Police DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola, whose name has also figured in the investigation into the alleged drug racket, has been summoned by the SIT for questioning on the same day. The two could potentially be questioned face-to-face as part of the investigation.
Reacting to the fresh summons, SAD chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kaler accused the Punjab government of indulging in what he described as “summons politics” ahead of the Assembly elections.
Kaler claimed that the allegations against Majithia had already been examined during proceedings before the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court, and that nothing incriminating had emerged against the Akali leader. These, however, are Kaler's claims.
He said the SAD would examine the latest summons and decide its further course of action. The party would also examine the legal question of whether the SIT can issue such a summons after the matter has been heard by the Supreme Court.
The case dates back to December 20, 2021, when the Punjab Police Crime Branch registered an FIR against Majithia under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including Sections 25, 27-A and 29.
According to the FIR, the case was based on findings contained in a 2018 Special Task Force (STF) report. Police had alleged that Majithia had links with certain individuals accused of involvement in drug trafficking.
