unjab Vigilance Bureau has tightened the noose around senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the high-stakes disproportionate assets case, taking the investigation across state borders and uncovering fresh leads linked to the drug trade. Over the past few days, the Bureau has intensified its probe, taking Majithia to multiple locations, recording testimonies of crucial witnesses, and preparing to move him to other states, including Uttar Pradesh.   Majithia, on Monday, was taken to Mashobra near Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, with officials stating that the move was based on specific intelligence about suspected benami properties linked to him. The Vigilance Bureau has also indicated plans to take him to Baddi and other locations in UP as part of an expanding investigation. The case has gained momentum following testimonies from key individuals, including former Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, top retired police officials, and Majithias own former aides.   However, Vigilance officials have flagged Majithias continued non-cooperation during the probe, particularly at sites identified for verification of illegal assets.   The recent push in the investigation stems from a set of damning depositions provided by four high-profile individuals, including former ED Deputy Director Niranjan Singh and Punjabs former DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya. Their statements have not only validated earlier suspicions but have also paved the way for new leads that connect Majithia with money laundering channels possibly linked to the drug trade in Punjab and beyond.   Niranjan Singh, who led the EDs probe into a Rs 6,000 crore drug trafficking network, revealed that dismissed DSP Jagdish Bhola — already convicted — had taken Majithias name during interrogation. Though Majithia never appeared before the ED during that probe, Singhs testimony was later used as a foundation for the 2021 NDPS case. Singh had interrogated over 40 individuals, including Bhola, and believes that there is substantial ground for further financial investigation against Majithia.   Former DGP Chattopadhyaya, under whose watch the 2021 NDPS case was registered by the then-Congress Government, stated that both earlier and current evidence point to Majithias involvement. Back then and now, we acted on concrete inputs. Nothing was politically motivated — it was always rooted in facts, he emphasized.   Adding weight to the Vigilance Bureaus findings are testimonies from those once considered Majithias trusted aides. Former MLA Amarpal Singh Boney Ajnala, once close to Majithia, was among the first to publicly rebel against him, claiming in written communication to SAD leadership, especially the then Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, that Majithia had hosted known drug smugglers like Satta and Pindi as brothers in his personal residence. Ajnalas testimony is being viewed as a critical link between political patronage and drug operations.   Talbir Singh Gill, Majithias former personal assistant (PA), has also recorded his statement, reportedly providing detailed insights into the Ministers financial dealings and networks. Once at the center of Majithias political operations, Gill is now cooperating fully with the investigation.   On Monday, businessman Manjinder Singh Bittu Aulakh and Jagjit Singh Chahal — both accused of drug-related offences and believed to be Majithias associates — appeared at the Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali to record their statements. They claimed that they had never profited from drug trade and demanded an impartial probe, saying, If found guilty, hang us publicly. But do not let this become a political circus.   While the Vigilance Bureau has intensified its pursuit, investigators claimed that Majithia has been uncooperative. Officials revealed that during recent site visits to Punjab and Himachal, Majithia either denied knowledge of the properties or refused to assist with location verification. Due to his lack of cooperation, we couldnt complete the ground verification of several suspicious properties, an officer said.   Officials now plan to take him to additional locations in Uttar Pradesh, where similar asset links are suspected. The Bureau has already summoned several individuals believed to be complicit in property concealment and financial routing.   Majithia, currently on a seven-day remand, is scheduled to be produced before the district court again on July 2. Vigilance officials are expected to seek an extension to continue investigations and site visits.   Shiromani Akali Dal has dismissed the ongoing investigation as politically motivated. Party spokespersons argued that the AAP Government is orchestrating a targeted campaign to defame opposition leaders ahead of elections. This is a witch-hunt designed to distract from the governments own failures, said a senior SAD leader, vowing to challenge the proceedings legally.   However, in a surprising political turn, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has broken his silence on the issue. He stated that if the current investigation is based on the 2021 NDPS case filed during his tenure, he would support the process. If its the same case we initiated, then I have no objection to justice being served, Channi said, in what is being interpreted as an endorsement of the probe.   With each passing day, the probe is expanding in scope and depth. Vigilance officials are reportedly lining up additional witnesses, including former police officers and political aides, who were previously reluctant to testify. The involvement of former senior police official Hardayal Singh Mann has also been demanded by some witnesses, with allegations that key facts were ignored during earlier investigations.  

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