Till January 24th, Majithia's interim bail prolonged

In the narcotics case filed against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia by Punjab Police in Mohali on December 20, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday extended the interim protection from arrest to him till January 24.

The order was issued by the bench of justices during a rehearing of his anticipatory bail request. Arshdeep Singh Cheema, one of his lawyers, Lisa Gill, stated.

The high court had ordered Majithia to join the investigation on January 12 and directed the police not to arrest him on January 10.

Majithia surfaced a day after the high court granted him interim protection after nearly 20 days underground. In Mohali, he appeared before the special investigative team (SIT).

On December 20, Majithia was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act's Sections 25 (the penalty for allowing premises), 27 (A) (whoever is financing any narcotic drug-related activity), and 29 (participant in a criminal conspiracy to conduct an offence).

His anticipatory bail request was denied by a Mohali court on December 24.

Majithia enlisted the help of Supreme Court counsel Mukul Rohtagi and senior attorney RS Cheema in the high court. P Chidambaram, a former Union minister, is in charge of the Punjab Police's legal team.

Majithia called the FIR an "election stunt" in his petition, alleging that the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress administration had changed three Punjab Police chiefs in three months to get the FIR filed. The appeal also accused Punjab Congress chairman Navjot Singh Sidhu of engaging in "unwarranted propaganda" against Majithia, as well as deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa of displaying "intense hatred" for him.

In its reaction, Punjab Police said that during the Akali regime in the state, government machinery was utilized to assist narcotics cartels. Majithia served as a prominent minister in the Akali government, and the cartel was discovered during the Shiromani Akali Dal's tenure, according to the police report. Incriminating evidence against Majithia had also come to light, according to the SIT.

Majithia was granted interim protection on January 10 by the high court, which also ordered him not to leave the country and to submit his mobile number to the SIT. He was also asked to reveal his current location with the SIT over WhatsApp. He was ordered by the court to appear before the SIT whenever needed.