SAD Leader Majithia Arrested, Opposition Cries Foul

On 25 Jun, Panjab’s Vigilance Bureau (PVB) arrested Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia from his home in Amritsar. The arrest triggered a wave of protests from the opposition parties who termed it 'political vendetta,' while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hit back, accusing critics of shielding those responsible for Panjab’s drug crisis. Leader of Opposition and Indian National Congress (INC) leader Partap Singh Bajwa condemned the arrest, calling it undemocratic. INC Member of Legislative Assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira said, 'Panjab has now turned into a police state.' Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Pritpal Singh drew parallels with the Emergency, tweeting, '#EmergencyIndia1975 till today in Punjab.' Though AAP said the arrest was part of 'War on Drugs', the First Information Report mentions 'disproportionate assets’ but does not mention drug money or invoke the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. In April 2025, the Supreme Court of India had upheld the bail granted to Majithia, dismissing the Panjab government’s appeal against the bail decision made by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. PVB has alleged that between 2007 and 2009, USD 18.7M in unexplained cash was deposited in Saraya industries in which Majithia has a 11% inherited share. The industry also received USD 16.4M through dubious foreign investments from Cyprus and Singapore. Advocate Rajvinder Singh Bains, who had prepared the initial fact finding report as part of Panjab Human Rights Organization said the report has been made basis of the arrest. He had submitted the report to the previous INC govt in 2022. Majithia is SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal's brother-in-law. Badal has dared Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to prove Saraya industries received any foreign exchange since 2007. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said, 'A clear message is being sent in Panjab no matter how big the leader is, no one will be spared.' He did not name Majithia or SAD. Before the 2017 state elections, Kejriwal had alleged Majithia was in the drugs trade and later publicly apologized upon facing a defamation case.