Supreme Court Dismisses Punjab Government’s Plea Against Bail to Bikram Singh Majithia

• Apr 25, 2025

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the Punjab Government’s petition challenging the bail granted to Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 10, 2022, in a drugs-related case.

A Bench led by Justice JK Maheswari stated, "The respondent (Majithia) has been cooperating with the ongoing investigation. Considering this, and the fact that bail was granted over two and a half years ago, we are not inclined to interfere with the High Court's order." Consequently, the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the Punjab Government was dismissed.

The Court further directed Majithia and the anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) to refrain from making public statements about the investigation. Majithia has been ordered to file an affidavit within a week, undertaking not to comment on the case in the media. Similarly, the STF must seek prior approval from the Court before making any public remarks. The Bench also allowed the STF to seek cancellation of Majithia’s bail if he attempts to influence witnesses or the course of the trial.

Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and brother of former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, was charged following a 2018 STF report on a drug trafficking network in Punjab. The STF findings were based on confessional statements made to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by several accused individuals.

Majithia was released from Patiala jail on August 10, 2022, after spending over five months in custody. The High Court, while granting bail, noted that there were "reasonable grounds" to believe he was not guilty. However, it clarified that these observations were limited to the bail proceedings and that the trial court should decide the case independently.

The High Court also imposed conditions on Majithia, including a travel restriction requiring court permission to go abroad and a strict warning against tampering with prosecution evidence.

The Punjab Government had sought to cancel Majithia’s bail, arguing that he was not cooperating with the investigation and had been evasive during questioning.

Previously, the Supreme Court had granted Majithia protection from arrest until February 23, 2022, allowing him to participate in election campaigning. It had, however, instructed him to surrender before the trial court afterward. On March 4, 2022, the Supreme Court ordered Majithia to appear before a Punjab Police SIT for interrogation on March 17 at 11 a.m. at the SIT headquarters in Patiala.