By Sulagna Halder
Chandigarh, 26 June 2025:
Officials confirmed Thursday that Bikram Singh Majithia, a senior Akali leader, had been arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on suspicion of laundering a staggering ₹540 crore in alleged drug proceeds.
Following early morning raids at his homes in Amritsar and Chandigarh, Majithia, the brother in law of Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, was arrested on Wednesday. The investigation is based on a 2021 FIR filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, in which a Special Investigation Team (SIT) claimed Majithia used an industrial front to plan complex money laundering schemes.
The Vigilance Bureau claims that at least ₹161 crore went through Majithia controlled company bank accounts, ₹141 crore went through dubious foreign entities, and ₹236 crore was deposited without any declared source of income. According to the agency, these transactions are in line with inexplicable increases in the amount of movable and immovable property owned by Majithia and his wife, Genieve Kaur. "To date, ₹540 crore of drug money has been tracked as illegally generated and laundered using Majithia's influence as a public servant," a bureau spokesperson clarified. Officials claim that companies like Saraya Industries helped to facilitate the money laundering.
Law enforcement seized mobile devices, laptops, property documents, diaries, and financial records during the well publicized raids, which were headed by Assistant Inspector General Swarandeep Singh. Although order was maintained, the operation led to a confrontation between supporters and the investigation team at the Amritsar property. The arrest has been condemned as politically motivated by Majithia's party. “We’re going to keep fighting,” his wife said. When Majithia is accused of forcing their way into their house, people will support her. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party government was accused by SAD leaders of putting on a political vendetta.
According to reports, Majithia and his family are preparing a legal challenge against the FIR while being closely monitored by the police. Accusing investigators of overreach, his supporters gathered outside their residences. The SIT inquiry is still in progress. As digital trails are examined, officials intend to conduct additional raids in addition to filing charges under various provisions of the NDPS Act. According to analysts, this case may change the way Punjab's long running fight against corruption and drug financing is prosecuted.
The state's volatile political and anti drug environment is further complicated by this high stakes case involving one of the major political figures as Punjab gets ready for state elections.
