A special investigation team of the Punjab Police looking into a multi-thousand-crore narcotics syndicate has issued summons to senior Akali leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, directing him to present himself before investigators on October 5. In parallel action, the SIT has summoned dismissed Punjab Police constable Jagdish Bhola for the identical date. Investigators are preparing to conduct an in-person, face-to-face interrogation involving both individuals for the very first time in connection with the 6,000 crore rupee synthetic drug network.
Arrest Timeline and Early Financial Probes
The origins of this sprawling contraband case date back to November 2013, when the Punjab Police apprehended Jagdish Bhola during an operation targeting illicit narcotic channels. The following year, in 2014, Bhola publicly named Majithia as an associate within the trafficking ecosystem, an allegation the senior Akali politician vehemently denied. As the scale of illicit transactions emerged, the Enforcement Directorate initiated an inquiry under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. ED officials questioned Majithia in 2014 regarding alleged financial links, at a time when he held ministerial office in the incumbent Akali Dal government.
NDPS Act Registration and Special Task Force Findings
The investigation escalated significantly on December 20, 2021, when a formal first information report was lodged against Majithia under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. This decisive police action occurred under the Congress administration headed by then Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. The registration of criminal charges relied directly upon an analytical probe compiled in 2018 by the Punjab Police Anti-Drug Special Task Force.
Judicial Custody and the Road to High Court Bail
The 2018 STF documentation examined critical links and statements surrounding key individuals implicated in the 2013 racket, specifically naming Jagjeet Singh Chahal, Jagdish Singh Bhola, and Maninder Singh Aulakh. Following his arrest after the registration of the NDPS case, Majithia remained incarcerated in Patiala jail for more than five months. His release came about in August 2022 after securing bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The forthcoming joint appearance scheduled for October 5 marks a crucial phase as the SIT seeks to confront the two figures with the established case material.
