Former Punjab Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia was arrested on Wednesday after a team of the Punjab Vigiliance Bureau raided his Amritsar house.
A Punjab police special investigation team (SIT) is probing a 2021 drug case against Majithia.
The bureau, along with police, conducted raids at 25 locations in Punjab, including nine locations in Amritsar, including that of Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Majithia and his wife claimed that members of the Vigilance Bureau barged into their house in Green Avenue in Amritsar. They claimed that a similar raid was conducted at their residence in Chandigarh.
‘THEY BARGED INTO HOUSE’
As a team of officials entered Majithia’s house, Kaur asked officials, “What is happening? I want to know what is going on. How did you barge into my house without my knowledge” She could be heard arguing with a vigilance official, expressing his dismay over the manner in which they entered his house.
“You have forced your way through. This is not the way. I am not going anywhere. I am ready to cooperate,” Majithia told the vigilance team.
He also alleged that the vigilance officials “barged into” the house, “terrorising” his children. Majithia claimed that a fresh FIR has been lodged by the vigilance department on Tuesday night.
“They forcefully entered the house. If an FIR has been lodged, we are submitted to the law. If they wanted to register an FIR of DA (disproportionate assets) case, they could have given a notice and register an FIR. It is very clear that they (AAP) are rattled,” he said.
Majithia said a team of the vigilance bureau led by the Senior Superintendent of Police of the vigilance conducted the raid.
“Bhagwant Mann ji, understand this, no matter how many FIRs you register, neither I will be afraid nor your government can suppress my voice,” Majithia said.
“I have always talked about the issues of Punjab and will continue to do so,” he added.
SAD EXTENDS SUPPORT
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, his wife and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and many senior Akali leaders lashed out at the AAP government over the raid at the residence of Majithia.
Kaur told reporters that a disproportionate assets case has been registered against her husband.
“We will continue to fight. People will stand by Majithia,” she said.
SAD’s Daljit Singh Cheema said, “The government does not have an answer to the corruption allegations. Today, they staged a drama to divert people’s attention from corruption. Bikram Singh Majithia was earlier arrested in a fake drug case, but nothing came out of it. Today, they (the Punjab government) are reminding us of the emergency imposed 50 years ago. Arvind Kejriwal is following the footsteps of Indira Gandhi. We will keep exposing this government.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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