Supreme Court Grants Bail to Bikram Singh Majithia in Assets Case; AAP Says 'Not an Acquittal'
The Supreme Court has granted bail to senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a high-profile disproportionate assets case, sparking contrasting reactions from political parties in Punjab. While the SAD welcomed the decision as a vindication, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government clarified that bail does not equate to acquittal and pledged to pursue the trial vigorously.
Court Proceedings and Bail Conditions
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta granted bail to Majithia on Monday while hearing his plea challenging a December 4, 2025 order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had previously denied him bail. The Supreme Court's intervention has brought temporary relief to the Akali leader, who has been embroiled in legal battles over allegations of financial misconduct.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, representing the AAP government, responded to the development by emphasizing that securing bail is not equivalent to being exonerated. "Getting bail does not mean that one has gotten scot-free," Cheema stated. He outlined that the bail comes with several conditions and that Majithia will now have to face the trial process. The minister added that the government would review the court order and consider filing a review petition if deemed necessary, expressing confidence that "Majithia will certainly be convicted."
Political Reactions and Allegations
The SAD hailed the Supreme Court's decision, framing it as an exposure of what they term "political vendetta" by the AAP government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann against Majithia. Senior Akali leaders Daljit Singh Cheema and Arshdeep Singh Kler accused the AAP administration of orchestrating a "false disproportionate assets case" in a bid to incarcerate Majithia, alleging that the government failed to defend its position effectively in the apex court.
In a detailed statement, the Akali leaders claimed that after the AAP government could not present a chargesheet in a separate narcotics case against Majithia and had its special leave petition dismissed by the Supreme Court, it resorted to implicating him in the assets case. They predicted that this case would meet the same fate as the narcotics case, which they described as baseless.
Daljit Cheema further alleged that the AAP government targeted Majithia "in a desperate bid to silence him as he had consistently condemned the wrong policies of the government besides speaking up for the rights of the people." He warned that "Punjabis will give a befitting reply to the AAP government for misusing the police and investigating agencies to frame its opponents in politically-motivated cases."
Background of the Case
The disproportionate assets case against Majithia stems from an investigation by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, which arrested him on June 25 last year. The bureau alleged that over Rs 540 crore of "drug money" was laundered through various channels, purportedly facilitated by Majithia. On August 22, a chargesheet spanning more than 40,000 pages was filed in a Mohali court, detailing the accusations.
This FIR originated from an ongoing probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police into a 2021 drug case. Previously, in 2021, Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act based on a 2018 report from the anti-drug SIT. He spent over five months in Patiala jail before being granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August 2022.
The legal saga continues to unfold, with the Supreme Court's bail order marking a significant but interim development. Both sides remain entrenched in their positions, setting the stage for further courtroom battles and political maneuvering in Punjab.
