Latest news with #Majithia
India Gazette
10 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Punjab minister alleges 'drugs reached every house' during SAD-BJP tenure
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 1 (ANI): Punjab Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond alleged that 'drugs reached every house' in Punjab during the ten years of the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government. He further alleged that the Aam Admi Party (AAP)-led government in Punjab has 'proof' of their link with the drug smugglers. On action taken against Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a money laundering case linked to drugs, Sond told ANI a day earlier, 'Everyone knows in Punjab that before the formation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab in 2007, no one had heard the name of heroin in the SAD-BJP government was in power in Punjab for 10 years, and during that tenure, drugs reached every house in the government has proof of their involvement with drug smugglers, and action is being taken accordingly'. Meanwhile, on Saturday, former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya said that irrefutable evidence is present against Bikram Singh Majithia linking him to drug traffickers. Chattopadhyaya alleged that crucial evidence against Majithia has existed since 2012. 'These are young and new officers who have shown the courage to work. I had gone there to guide them that the evidence has been in the file since 2012. So, use it and present it before the court. This is irrefutable and on-record evidence, legally acceptable in court as evidence. But with his influence, he had suppressed it,' the former DGP told ANI. Majithia was sent to seven days of police custody by a Mohali court on Thursday in connection with a money laundering case linked to drugs. He will be produced before the court again on July 2. Earlier, the Public Prosecutor Advocate Ferry Sofat told ANI, 'Bikram Singh Majithia's income of Rs 540 crore remains undisclosed, and he could not mention any details about it.' He informed the court that there were large and unexplained cash deposits made by Saraya Industries, a company operated by Majithia's family since the 1950s. The court was also informed that Majithia had allegedly threatened the investigating officers during his arrest, and the incident was captured on video. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mohali/Chandigarh: Majithia taken to Himachal, ex-aides record statements
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau Monday took Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia to Himachal Pradesh in connection with a disproportionate assets (DA) case registered against the former minister, said sources. Bikram Singh Majithia (HT File) The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on June 25 arrested Majithia in a disproportionate assets case allegedly involving laundering of ₹ 540 crore of 'drug money'. Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, is learnt to have been taken to Mashobra in Himachal Pradesh for verification of property allegedly linked to his family. Though Majithia does not own any property in Himachal, his wife Ganieve Kaur Majithia, an Akali MLA, owns a residential property in the hill state, according to an election affidavit. Following his arrest, Majithia was sent to a seven-day vigilance remand on June 26. He will be produced before a Mohali court on July 2. On Monday, former Akali leader Maninder Singh Aulakh, also known as Bittu Aulakh, who is now with the BJP, and Amritsar-based businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal recorded their statements against Majithia at the vigilance office in Sector 68, Mohali. Speaking to the media after his deposition, Aulakh said the case dates back to 2013 and alleged that law enforcement failed to act decisively at the time. 'Had the police investigated properly then, the truth would have come out much earlier. We even demanded a CBI probe,' he said. Aulakh added that investigators questioned him about financial transactions, benami properties and any joint assets with Majithia, all of which he denied. He called for the questioning of former SSP Hardayal Mann to shed light on the matter and accused former ED deputy director Niranjan Singh of bias in the earlier probe. 'If anyone is involved in drug trafficking, they should be punished. But innocent people like me and Chahal have been falsely implicated. Our children's futures have been ruined and Chahal's parents suffered immensely,' he said. Clarifying his past association with Majithia, Aulakh said they had cordial ties until 2010 but never owned any property together. Chahal, who owns three pharmaceutical companies in Himachal Pradesh — MBP Pharmaceuticals and Montek Bio Pharma in Baddi, and Tulip Formulations in Damtal — echoed Aulakh's concerns. He said the investigation finally appears to be moving in the right direction. 'Until now, it was all political drama. Five or six SITs were formed over the years, but none took the case seriously. For the first time, officials seem determined to uncover the truth,' Chahal said. He reiterated his opposition to drug trafficking and called on chief minister Bhagwant Mann to initiate a thorough probe into the 2013 drug racket. 'If we are guilty, we are ready to face the consequences,' he added. Both Aulakh and Chahal were arrested in 2015 for their alleged roles in the Bhola drug cartel but were acquitted of all charges by a CBI court in Mohali in 2019. Over the past five days, the vigilance bureau has also recorded statements from former Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya, former ED deputy director Niranjan Singh and former MLA Amarpal Singh 'Bonny' Ajnala. In the fresh FIR registered against Majithia, the bureau claimed preliminary investigations revealed that more than ₹ 540 crore of 'drug money' has been laundered through several ways and it was allegedly facilitated by Majithia. This FIR against Majithia stems from an ongoing investigation being conducted by a Punjab Police special investigation team into the 2021 drug case. In 2021, Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The action was taken on the basis of a 2018 report of the anti-drug special task force. Majithia spent more than five months in Patiala jail and walked out of prison in August 2022 after the Punjab and Haryana high court granted him bail. Cheema slams oppn leaders for trying to 'shield' Majithia Chandigarh Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema Monday hit out at opposition leaders for trying to 'shield' SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia after he was arrested in a disproportionate assets case, saying it has exposed their 'double standards'. Addressing the media here, Cheema also played video clips of some opposition leaders in which they had been criticising Majithia over the drug issue. 'From 2007 to 2017, Punjab witnessed an alarming rise in drug trafficking and the spread of substances like 'chitta' (synthetic drugs), heroin, and smack. This dark period in our state's history, marked by the blatant drug trade, is indelibly linked to the rule of the Akali-BJP government,' he alleged. 'Key opposition leaders had previously called for action against Majithia, yet today, they are attempting to shield him,' the minister said adding that Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, who had promised to take action against Majithia and others in 2016, has now reversed his stance and defended him. 'Congress leaders like Sukhpal Singh Khaira and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who had at one point criticised Majithia, are now backtracking. This is nothing but opportunism and betrayal of the people of Punjab,' Cheema added. (With inputs from PTI)
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Majithia taken to Mashobra by Vigilance to ascertain links with properties in Himachal
A Punjab Vigilance team Monday took senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia to Mashobra, near Shimla, in Himachal Pradesh to verify certain properties owned by the Majithia family. In an early morning development, Majithia was taken to Himachal Pradesh in a convoy of Vigilance Bureau vehicles and the team returned to Punjab after conducting a day-long visit to the properties in Mashobra. Vigilance sources said that the visit was in connection with the disproportionate assets case registered against Majithia and to ascertain the means through which these properties were acquired. The election affidavit submitted by Majithia during 2022 Assembly polls in Punjab includes two properties in Mashobra by his wife Ganieve Kaur. Majithia had unsuccessfully contested the February 2022 poll from Amritsar North as a SAD candidate. The election affidavit mentions two houses owned by Ganieve Kaur in village Mohal, Purani Kotli, Shimla district worth Rs 1.20 crore as in October 2021. Meanwhile, Maninder Singh Aulakh, alias Bittu Aulakh, and Jagjit Singh Chahal, who had earlier faced cases pertaining to the NDPS Act and were later acquitted, Monday appeared before the Vigilance Bureau and recorded their statements. Speaking to the media after meeting the vigilance officials, both Aulakh and Chahal said that they have high hopes that the present case against Majithia would reach a positive conclusion because of the 'sincerity of the government' and the attitude of the vigilance officials. 'Whatever questions we were asked, we have answered to the best of our knowledge. This is a DA case, we gave answers as per information available with us. They wanted to know if there were any financial transactions with us or had some benami property. We have given information. Main issue is of drugs and we have told them that when in 2013 when this issue first arose, then had the police done proper investigation at the time, things would have been different,' said Aulakh. He added that the duo had demanded a CBI inquiry at the time. 'A corrupt police officer involved in the case should be interrogated. These people destroyed Punjab. My mother and Chahal's parents died because of the trauma of drug charges against us. We were eventually acquitted after spending six and a half years in jail. We still say you can shoot us in the middle of a chowk if we have ever done drug trade. We have given statement about that corrupt police officer to vigilance today. It should be investigated how he acquired gas stations and subway outlets in USA,' said Aulakh. Chahal said they have hopes that the present vigilance case will reach some logical conclusion and that till now whatever happened was mere drama. 'There have been many SITs formed to date and all have called us many times but nothing happened. Only politics took place and now we feel that it will reach fruition due to government's sincerity,' he said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Majithia case: VB records statement of ex-SAD MLA Bonny
Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Ajnala, Amarpal Singh Bonny, now a member of the BJP, on Sunday recorded his statement at the vigilance bureau office in Sector 68, Mohali, against senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia. Bonny alleged that Majithia had once invited him to his home and introduced him to two alleged drug smugglers—Satta and Pindi—claiming they were his close friends. (HT File) The SAD leader was arrested on July 25 from his Amritsar residence under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly laundering over ₹ 540 crore of 'drug money'. Currently, he remains in vigilance bureau custody and is scheduled to be produced in court on July 2. Bonny said he had been vocal against drug trafficking since 2013 during the Akali Dal government. 'I had written to then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in 2015, highlighting the harassment of Akali workers in Ajnala and Majithia's alleged links with drug smugglers,' Bonny said after recording his statement. Bonny alleged that Majithia had once invited him to his home and introduced him to two alleged drug smugglers—Satta and Pindi—claiming they were his close friends. He also mentioned the case of Bittu Aulakh, who was picked up from Amritsar and implicated in a drug smuggling case in Banur but was later acquitted by a Mohali court. 'I have been speaking against drugs since 2013. Today was my fifth hearing. I demand a proper investigation to bring the truth to light,' Bonny said. According to the seven-page first information report (FIR), registered in VB (flying squad) police station, Mohali, Majithia's unaccounted income of over ₹ 540 crore includes ₹ 161 crore in cash deposits and ₹ 141 crore from foreign sources credited to his company, Saraya Industries, without any disclosed source. An additional ₹ 236 crore was found in Saraya's accounts with no explanation in its financial records, the FIR further states. The FIR also notes that Majithia's wife, MLA Ganieve Kaur, had floated a firm with ₹ 1 crore in seed capital, reporting ₹ 56 lakh profit in its first year. However, no further operational details of the firm are available. Officials allege that Majithia amassed properties and assets disproportionate to his known income between 2007 and 2012. On Saturday, former deputy director of enforcement directorate, Niranjan Singh, who had quizzed Majithia in case of money laundering in the Jagdish Bhola drug racket case, recorded his statement before the VB team. On Friday, former Punjab DGP Sidharth Chattopadhyaya, on whose order the NDPS case was registered against Majithia in 2021, appeared before the VB sleuths.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-aide claims Majithia introduced ‘drug traffickers' as his brothers; says wrote to Badal in 2016, but was ignored
Mohali: In a fresh twist to the ongoing investigation into Punjab's multi-crore drug racket, former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Amarpal Singh Ajnala, also known as Boni Ajnala, on Sunday recorded his statement before the vigilance bureau (VB), making explosive revelations against arrested party leader . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ajnala, once an aide of Majithia and now a BJP leader, appeared before vigilance officials at the Mohali headquarters and later addressed the media, alleging that Majithia personally introduced him to individuals now known to be key drug traffickers. "Majithia introduced me to (Parminder Singh) Pindi, Bhinda, Satpreet Satta, and Bittu Aulakh at his residence, calling them his brothers," claimed Ajnala. "But I later found out they were deeply involved in drug smuggling, with clients even in Canada. I raised the alarm back then and even wrote a DO letter to the then chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal, in 2016, but the matter was deliberately buried," he added. Ajnala said Sunday's appearance marked his fifth hearing before the vigilance bureau in connection with the drug case. He maintained that he had been openly raising his voice against drugs since 2013, even when the SAD-led govt was in power, and reiterated his stand on all the statements he made in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Speaking about Bittu Aulakh, Ajnala claimed that Aulakh was once arrested from Amritsar in a drug smuggling case registered in Banur, but was later acquitted by the Mohali court. "That doesn't mean he's clean. There are layers of cover-up here that need to be investigated properly," he insisted. Ajnala alleged that police cases registered in Banur related to the drug racket were either filed away or tampered with, and that crucial jimni (supplementary) reports went missing. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "If land records and case files were not tampered with during the Channi govt, the truth about this entire network would have come out much earlier," he said. Similar exposures were made by former deputy director, Enforcement Directorate, Niranjan Singh during his statement to the vigilance bureau in Mohali. Majithia, who has consistently denied the charges, was recently arrested by the vigilance bureau from his Amritsar residence in a case of having assets disproportionate to his income. At present, he is in police custody.
