A Mohali court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail application of former Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a case of allowing drugs smuggling and harbouring offenders involved in the drugs trade.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mohali, said the FIR had been registered on a report which prima facie showed the involvement of the applicant in the drugs trade and harbouring of accused belonging to the drug mafia.
The judge said that keeping in mind all the facts and the gravity of the offence, it was not a fit case for anticipatory bail.
The police have registered the First Information Report under Sections 25 (allowing premises etc to be used for commission of an offence under the Act), 27A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders) and 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 against Mr. Majithia at the Bureau of Investigation in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali).
At a press meet, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said the case against Mr. Majithia had been registered as there was enough evidence against him. He had been booked on a 2018 status report of a probe into the drug racket in the State.
Protests by Akali Dal
Meanwhile, Youth Akali Dal members led by its president Parambans Singh Romana staged demonstrations at several district headquarters to protest against the case against Mr. Majithia. They alleged that it was a false case filed by the Congress government to hide its own failures.