The bail application of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia was dismissed by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohali on Friday.
The court ruled that the applicant had tried to make out a case of political vendetta but was himself a powerful person state politics till 2017. Delay in lodging the FIR could not be a ground to presume that the whole case against the applicant was false, the court said.
“The FIR has been registered on the basis of a report, which prima facie shows the involvement of the applicant in the drug trade and harbouring of accused involved in drug mafia,” the court said in its order.“All these facts and financial transactions and extend of complicity of the applicant needs to be thoroughly investigated, which can be done only under custodial interrogation of the applicant and not under protection of anticipatory bail.”
“Hence, keeping in view all the facts and the gravity of the offence, it is not a fit case where benefit of anticipatory bail can be granted to the bail applicant. Accordingly, finding no merit in the bail application and the same is hereby dismissed.”Punjab Police had booked former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
A copy of the FIR stated that Majihtia had been booked for knowingly allowing drug smuggling through the use of his property or conveyance, financing the distribution or sale of drugs and hatching a criminal conspiracy for smuggling.
