Chandigarh, January 18
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday extended till January 24 the interim anticipatory bail granted to senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a drug-related case.
The matter was placed before Justice Lisa Gill after Majithia filed a plea, apprehending arrest after a case under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered at Mohali on December 20 last year.
He moved the High Court after a Mohali court dismissed his anticipatory bail petition.
Majithia had claimed that the FIR was registered with political and ulterior motives.
In her five-page order, Justice Gill had on the previous date of hearing asserted it was considered expedient at the current stage to direct the petitioner, at the first instance, to join the investigation and directed Majithia to appear before the investigating officer on January 12.
Justice Gill had observed that reliance by the prosecution, at the present stage, was primarily upon the statements of certain persons, including Jagdish Singh Bhola, Maninder Singh Aulakh, Jagminder Kaur and Jagjit Singh Chahal.
Bhola stood convicted, while Chahal and Aulakh were acquitted. Statements of these three persons were recorded by the Enforcement Directorate at the first instance. As per a status report submitted by Additional Director-General of Police, Special Task Force and Border, Harpreet Singh Sidhu, fresh statements of Chahal or Aulakh were not recorded during his inquiry.
Sidhu’s statement dated December 22, 2021, was a reiteration of the status report submitted by him.
High Court extends interim anticipatory bail of Bikram Majithia
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