IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Reserved on: 20.11.2025 Pronounced on: 04.12.2025 Uploaded on: 04.12.2025 Bikram Singh Majithia ….Petitioner Versus State of Punjab ….Respondent CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TRIBHUVAN DAHIYA Present: Mr. R.S. Cheema, Senior Advocate, with Mr. D.S. Sobti, Advocate, Mr. A.S. Cheema, Advocate, Mr. Satish Sharma, Advocate, Mr. Siddharth Bhukkal, Advocate, Mr. Sultan Singh Sangha, Advocate, Mr. Paras Jhamb, Advocate, Ms. Sheenam Kamboj, Advocate, and Mr. Prince Bharol, Advocate, for the petitioner.

Mr. Maninderjit Singh Bedi, Advocate General, Punjab, with Mr. Chanchal K. Singla, Additional Advocate General, Punjab, Mr. Madhur Sharma, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab, Mr. Satjot Singh Chahal, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab, and Ms. Kavita Joshi, Advocate, for the respondent.

TRIBHUVAN DAHIYA, J.

The petition has been filed for grant of regular bail in case FIR No.22 dated 25.06.2025, registered under Sections 13(1)(b) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended by Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the PC Act’), at Police Station Vigilance Bureau, FS-1, S.A.S. Nagar.

2. The FIR in question has been lodged on the basis of a report, dated 07.06.2025, of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating an earlier FIR against the petitioner and others, bearing no.2, dated 20.12.2021, registered under Sections 25, 27-A and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the NDPS Act’), at Police Station Punjab State Crime, S.A.S. Nagar. The report mentioned accumulation of more than (cid:1)540 crores of wealth by the petitioner and his wife through illegal entities. The relevant extract of the FIR reads as under:

… In the report of Special Investigation Team bearing No.292/SIT dated 07.06.2025, it has been written that “FIR No. 02 dated 20.12.2021 registered under sections 25, 27-A and 29 of NDPS Act 1985 at Punjab State Crime Police Station, S.A.S. Nagar against Bikram Singh Majithia and others is being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and has uncovered substantial evidence indicating acquisition of assets disproportionate to the known sources of income of Bikram Singh Majithia and his wife Ganieve Kaur. That Bikram Singh Majithia has accumulated vast wealth, properties, and business interests in his name or in the name of his family members which appear to be grossly disproportionate to his legitimate income. In the course of investigation the material collected establishes that the assets have been acquired through proceeds of illegal activities and it amounts to illicit enrichment of resources.

In 2007. Bikram Singh Majithia became an elected member of the legislature and subsequently a Cabinet Minister in the State Government of Punjab. Evidence indicates that during his tenure as a Cabinet Minister in the State Government of Punjab, there has been disproportionate increase in the assets of Bikram Singh Majithia, his wife, wherein they have acquired huge wealth from the unknown and illegal means.

2.1 The FIR further details of ten companies under the petitioner’s direct or indirect control where questionable transactions have been noticed. The investigation also revealed that huge cash had been deposited in the bank accounts of Saraya Industries Limited (SIL) during the period the petitioner was Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and a Cabinet Minister in the State of Punjab. The amount has allegedly been utilised for acquiring assets; besides, other suspicious entities have been created for siphoning of the money.

3. Mr. Cheema, learned senior counsel for the petitioner contended that the case essentially arises out of the earlier case registered against the petitioner, i.e., FIR No.2 dated 20.12.2021, under Sections 25, 27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act, at Police Station Punjab State Crime, S.A.S. Nagar (hereinafter referred to as ‘the NDPS case’)