In a major political development, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Minister Bikram Singh Majithia was arrested on Wednesday by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in connection with a disproportionate assets case involving alleged illicit wealth amounting to over Rs 540 crore. The arrest followed raids at 24 locations across four districts including Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, and Ludhiana, in what the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government has termed as a “decisive action” in its anti-corruption crusade.
Majithia, a powerful political figure and the brother-in-law of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, was taken into custody from his Green Avenue residence in Amritsar and brought to Mohali for interrogation and court proceedings. During the raid, vigilance officers led by AIG Swarandeep Singh seized an extensive volume of material, including 29 mobile phones, five laptops, three iPads, two desktops, eight diaries, and a large cache of documents.
Officials claimed that initial investigation pointed to massive financial irregularities involving companies controlled by Majithia and his family, particularly after his entry into public office. As the news of his arrest spread, supporters of SAD and Akali leaders rushed to the court premises in Mohali, raising slogans and alleging political vendetta. Majithia, however, remained defiant, releasing a video on social media in which he accused the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government of targeting him out of “political malice” and vowed to keep raising his voice for Punjab.
The fresh case against Majithia, registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, is an offshoot of an earlier 2021 NDPS Act case in which Majithia was booked during the Congress regime. According to senior vigilance officials, the latest FIR is backed by an eight-page SIT report submitted to the Punjab DGP on June 7, 2025, which reportedly unveiled “heavy illicit enrichment” through shell companies, foreign transactions, and unaccounted cash.
According to the FIR, Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur, also an MLA, acquired properties and financial assets far exceeding their known sources of income. The SIT probe, which scrutinized the couple’s financial dealings since 2007, found that Majithia’s wealth spiked dramatically after becoming an MLA and a cabinet minister, particularly when he held the portfolio of Non-Conventional Energy in 2009.
The FIR noted that over Rs 161 crore in unaccounted cash was deposited in the bank accounts of companies controlled by Majithia; Rs 141 crore in suspicious foreign transactions were detected, believed to be routed via foreign shell companies; an additional Rs 236 crore was credited to company accounts without corresponding entries or explanations in their official financial statements.
The FIR further pointed that substantial movable and immovable assets were acquired without any valid source of income. The evidence, vigilance officers said, “strongly indicates possession of disproportionate assets” and misuse of official position for personal financial gains.
Before becoming an MLA in 2007, Majithia was associated with four companies — Saraya Sugar Mills Limited (1956), Saraya Industries Limited (1980), Saraya Aviation Private Limited (1992), and Peregrine Saraya Organics Private Limited (1998). Post-2009, after he entered the Punjab Cabinet, five new power companies and one transport company were registered under his or his family’s name — Saraya Renewable Energy Private Limited; Gurdaspur Power Private Limited; Batala Power Private Limited; Ajnala Power Private Limited; Nawanshahr Power Private Limited; and Prime Air Ambulance Private Limited.
According to the SIT, these companies witnessed sudden and unexplained surges in capital infusion, foreign funding, and property acquisitions. The Bureau is now investigating how these firms became conduits for layering allegedly illicit wealth.
The arrest followed an early morning raid at Majithia's plush residence in Green Avenue, Amritsar, led by SSP Lakhbir Singh and AIG Swarandeep Singh of the Vigilance Bureau's Flying Squad. Apart from Majithia's residence, raids were conducted at 11 locations in Amritsar, four in Tarn Taran, three in Sangrur, and two in Ludhiana. Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur alleged that the 30-member raid team forcibly entered the premises without prior notice, causing panic among the family and even “terrorizing” their children.
A video posted by Majithia on X (formerly Twitter) showed him confronting the vigilance officers, questioning the legality of their entry and the purpose of their actions. “What is happening? I want to know what is going on. How did you barge into my house without informing us?” Ganieve Kaur is seen questioning the officials in another video.
SAD leaders, including party president Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal — Majithia’s sister, slammed the Mann Government for “weaponizing state institutions to silence political rivals”. They alleged that AAP was indulging in “witch-hunting” to divert attention from its failures.
AAP and Kejriwal Defend Action, Say 'No One Will Be Spared'
Reacting strongly to the arrest, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said that the development marked a turning point in Punjab’s fight against corruption and drug trafficking. “Those who first introduced drugs in Punjab were ministers in the previous governments and gave shelter to traffickers. Now, the message is loud and clear — no matter how powerful you are, no one will be spared,” Kejriwal declared. In an official statement, AAP said that the raids and arrest were based on months of surveillance and documentary evidence. “This is not political revenge. This is accountability. If a Minister misused his office and looted Punjab, action is bound to follow,” the statement added.
From Drug Case to Asset Probe
Majithia has been a controversial figure in Punjab politics, particularly due to his alleged links to the drug mafia. In December 2021, during the Congress rule, he was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act based on the recommendations of a SIT investigating drug trafficking in Punjab. Although he was granted bail later, the investigation led to deeper scrutiny into his financial dealings. In March this year, the SIT claimed to have found foreign transactions and benami properties linked to Majithia, prompting a financial probe. The present disproportionate assets case is the result of those expanded inquiries. As per the FIR, “material collected during investigation proves these assets are outcomes of illegal activities and fall under the category of ‘illicit enrichment’.”
Majithia Hits Back: “Not Afraid, Won’t Be Silenced”
Soon after the arrest, Majithia posted a defiant video message on X, accusing the State Government of using state machinery to suppress him. “Bhagwant Mann ji, no matter how many FIRs you register, I won’t be afraid. You cannot suppress my voice,” he said. He also accused the Vigilance Bureau of acting under political pressure and claimed that the government was frustrated after failing to implicate him in the earlier drug-related case. “I have always spoken up for Punjab and will continue to do so. This is a desperate act by a government that has no answers for Punjab’s real issues,” Majithia said, asserting that the action against him was a cover-up for governance failures and recent bypoll pressures.
Political Ramifications
The arrest has added to the political heat in Punjab, especially at a time when SAD is struggling with internal dissent and erosion of public support, while AAP is riding high on its recent Ludhiana West bypoll victory. While SAD leaders are portraying Majithia’s arrest as “political vendetta,” analysts believed that the move may bolster AAP's image as a government that takes corruption seriously, particularly as it faces criticism over governance and handling of the state’s financial crisis.
Majithia’s arrest also comes amid renewed efforts by AAP to consolidate its base among rural and urban voters disillusioned by the traditional parties. In such a scenario, targeting high-profile political elites like Majithia aligns with AAP's narrative of “cleaning the system.”
Meanwhile, SAD has announced statewide protests and plans to challenge the FIR legally and politically. “We will not be cowed down. We will fight this legally and on the streets,” said Harsimrat Badal.
