SC grants protection from arrest to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia till Feb 23

It also directed the trial court to hear and expeditiously decide Majithia's regular bail plea after his surrender in the case

The Supreme Court on Monday protected Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia from arrest in a drugs case till February 23 in order to allow him campaigning and to contest upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana told the Punjab government to refrain from launching criminal cases against the political opponents, just before the election.

The top court directed Majithia to surrender on February 24 before the trial court and seek regular bail.

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Senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the Punjab government, said Punjab is sinking under drug trade and the youth are in danger.

He asserted that custodial interrogation of Majithia was required as it is a case of international drug racket and there have been monetary transactions, where Majithia mediated.

The bench, however, said there is an allegation that it is a politically motivated case.

"Suddenly such cases come up before the election, and the court does not mean that the government should not crack down on the drug mafia. Let him file nomination and campaign, once it is over he will surrender and apply for regular bail," the bench said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Majithia, submitted that for six years there were thorough probes and nothing was found against his client.

Majithia, the brother-in-law of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, is in the fray for the February 20 assembly polls from Majitha, near Amritsar.

The High Court had on January 24 rejected the plea for anticipatory bail filed by Majithia in connection with an FIR registered under various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on December 20, last year by Punjab State Crime.

The petitioner claimed that the FIR was gross abuse of the process in law and vindictive in nature as it was lodged in 2021 against the incident on the basis of some statements made to the Enforcement Directorate in 2014.

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