Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Punjabs former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was sent to seven days of police remand by a Mohali court on Thursday in connection with a high-profile disproportionate assets and money laundering case, allegedly linked to Rs 540 crore drug money. The Vigilance Bureau, which had arrested Majithia from his Amritsar residence a day earlier, sought 12 days of custody, but the court granted seven after a prolonged hearing.   Presented under tight security, Majithias appearance created chaos outside the court premises, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and SAD supporters clashing in heated protests. Police detained over two dozen SAD workers, including senior leaders like former Minister Daljit Singh Cheema, as they attempted to rally outside the court in Majithias support. Cheema called the entire case politically motivated and accused the state government of misusing the judicial system.   The security arrangements made it seem like Majithia is some terrorist, said Simranjit Singh Chandumajra, associated with SAD rebel faction Sudhar Lehar, condemning the heavy police presence.   Inside the courtroom, the public prosecutor made serious allegations. He told the judge that Majithia had failed to explain assets worth Rs 540 crore, which were far in excess of his known income. There are bank entries showing Rs 286 crore in transactions, but only Rs 125 crore is recorded in official accounts — leaving a gap of Rs 161 crore unaccounted for, the prosecutor said. In another case, Rs 236 crore was deposited in company accounts during Majithias ministerial tenure, but there is no explanation in the financial records, he added.   Further, the court was informed about suspicious foreign transactions involving companies based in Cyprus and Singapore — widely known tax havens. A Cyprus-based firm bought shares worth Rs 35 crore in Majithias Indian company and sold them for just Rs 3.5 crore despite the company being profitable. Later, it gave a Rs 90 crore loan to another firm named Saraya, which accrued Rs 44 crore in interest but was settled for just Rs 51 crore, the prosecutor said, calling it a clear case of Rs 80 crore financial manipulation.   Adding to the drama, the prosecution revealed that Majithia had behaved in a threatening manner with Vigilance officials and even directed intimidating remarks toward Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during his transit from Amritsar to Mohali — details that were brought to the courts attention while seeking remand.   Majithias lawyer strongly contested the remand, calling the case baseless and accusing the state of hatching a conspiracy against the senior leader. This is nothing but vendetta. They want to silence the opposition by using state machinery, he argued.   The courtroom proceedings brought work in the complex to a halt for several hours as security was ramped up, and movement restricted. Court officials were only allowed inside after thorough identity checks.   Outside, the political slugfest intensified. While SAD workers shouted slogans against the government, AAP supporters countered with placards and chants demanding strict punishment for those responsible for pushing Punjabs youth into drugs. The heavy police deployment eventually dispersed both groups, and some protestors were taken away in police buses.   The case is now set for its next hearing on July 2.   SAD Slams AAP for Vendetta Politics, Alleges Illegal Action Against Majithia   Launching a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Punjab, SAD on Thursday accused it of misusing state agencies to frame senior leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case without any preliminary or regular inquiry.   Addressing a press conference in Amritsar, senior SAD leaders Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Maheshinder Singh Grewal, and Daljit Singh Cheema termed the arrest politically motivated. This case is a clear attempt to silence Majithia and divert attention from the AAP governments failed anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashean Virudh, said Grewal, adding that no formal complaint or evidence supports the Rs 540 crore figure cited in the case.   Grewal dismissed the allegations as baseless, claiming that the listed properties have been in the Majithia family long before Bikram Majithia was born. The familys wealth predates his political career. The government has fabricated a case for political mileage, he said while highlighting that Majithia had resigned as director of Saraya Industries in 2007, distancing himself from the companys decisions.   Cheema added that the same allegations had earlier been submitted to the Supreme Court during a plea to cancel Majithias bail in the NDPS case, but the court had not taken cognizance. He further criticized the Mohali court security, likening it to a curfew-like situation that inconvenienced litigants.   Bhundar compared the developments to the Emergency era, calling it a murder of democracy. He alleged that the AAP Government had been pressuring officials for over three years to implicate Majithia and thanked opposition parties for their support in exposing the political vendetta.

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