Majithia’s Drug Money Laundering Probe Deepens: Vigilance Custody Extended Amid Staggering Rs 540 Crore Allegations, Key Witnesses Emerge

Majithia’s Drug Money Laundering Probe Deepens: Vigilance Custody Extended Amid Staggering Rs 540 Crore Allegations, Key Witnesses Emerge

Majithia stands accused of illicitly acquiring movable and immovable assets with no discernible legitimate source of income, which led to the registration of the disproportionate assets (DA) case against him.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | July 2, 2025

Mohali, July 2: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, already in custody in a disproportionate assets (DA) case, has had his vigilance custody remand extended by four days by a Mohali court. Majithia was produced before the court under tight security after his initial seven-day vigilance remand concluded. This extension follows his arrest on Wednesday, June 25, amid aggressive raids by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) across 25 locations, including his Amritsar residence.

The case against Majithia has ignited further scrutiny into Punjab’s pervasive criminal underworld and the deeply entrenched criminal-political nexus within the state.

Massive Drug Money Laundering Allegations

The Vigilance Bureau Punjab has revealed significant incriminating details, alleging “massive laundering of drug money facilitated by Bikram Singh Majithia,” with an estimated value exceeding a staggering Rs 540 crores. Preliminary investigations highlight specific channels for this illicit money:

• Rs 161 crores of illicit cash were funnelled into bank accounts of companies under Majithia’s direct control.
• An additional Rs 141 crores were slyly routed through suspected foreign entities.
• Rs 236 crores were discovered as excess deposits, entirely lacking proper disclosure or explanation in company financial statements.

Furthermore, Majithia stands accused of illicitly acquiring movable and immovable assets with no discernible legitimate source of income, which led to the registration of the disproportionate assets (DA) case against him. This recent DA case is reportedly based on investigations by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

🧩 Quick Facts – Majithia Case:
• Accused: Bikram Singh Majithia (Shiromani Akali Dal)
• Allegation: Drug money laundering (previous), now DA case
• Current Charge: Disproportionate Assets
• Status: 7-day police custody, extended by 4 days up to July 6, 2025
• Investigating Agency: Punjab Vigilance Bureau
• Key Witness: Former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Sidharth Chattopadhyaya

Former Top Police Official Provides Key Information

In a significant escalation of the corruption probe, former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Sidharth Chattopadhyaya visited the Vigilance Bureau (VB) head office on Friday, June 27, to provide information regarding the case against Majithia.

Chattopadhyaya asserted that “much evidence” against Majithia existed as early as 2012, indicating Majithia’s “connivance” with drug smugglers and “financial gain”. He highlighted political interference, noting that Bikram Majithia and Sukhbir Badal’s government was in power at that time.

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[ Ex-DGP Punjab Chattopadhyaya Confirms Majithia’s Connivance with Drug Smugglers ]

Chattopadhyaya, who had ordered the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Majithia in December 2021 during his brief tenure as officiating Punjab DGP, met with officials from both the VB (probing the DA case) and the SIT investigating the 2021 FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

He told reporters that a “direct link” between Majithia and drug smugglers was uncovered in his probe, stating, “Hundred percent. Hundred percent. There is proof, and it will come in front of you”. The former DGP also claimed that evidence had been destroyed and shared details about this with the investigative teams. A senior VB officer confirmed that Chattopadhyaya was requested to brief them on the case’s background and money trail, and his information would be formally brought on record.

Chattopadhyaya further elaborated on the findings of a Punjab and Haryana High Court-constituted SIT, which he headed in December 2017 to probe the nexus between drug traffickers and enforcement agencies. This SIT submitted three reports detailing the misuse of the NDPS Act, extortions, and the money trail of ill-gotten wealth by “black sheep” within the Punjab Police. He cited instances such as the wrongdoings of dismissed AIG Rajjit Singh, who allegedly amassed properties from drug money, and dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh, who received four promotions despite facing 15 departmental inquiries and four cases, including three for corruption.

Former ED Officer Also Shares Insights

Following Chattopadhyaya’s visit, Niranjan Singh, retired Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), also visited the Vigilance Bureau head office on Saturday, June 28, to share information with VB officials. Singh, who previously led the ED probe against Majithia, had previously stated that he faced “enormous pressure” from his seniors to “go slow” in the case. An ED status report by Niranjan Singh had previously formed the basis of the drugs case registered against Majithia in 2021.

This latest development stems from a relentless investigation by a Punjab police Special Investigation Team (SIT) into a 2021 drug case against Majithia. The sources indicate that the illegal drug trade has “metastasized” throughout Punjab, with complicity extending to politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, as well as high-ranking police officials. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has previously delivered a damning verdict, explicitly stating the existence of a criminal collusion between the Punjab Police and the drug mafia.