Supreme Court Grants Bail to SAD Leader Bikram Majithia In Disproportionate Assets Case

The Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a disproportionate assets case has dealt a political setback to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, while offering a morale boost to the Akali Dal. The order comes amid a prolonged political battle in which Majithia has remained a central figure in allegations surrounding the drugs-politics nexus in the state.

The AAP had come to power in Punjab in 2022 with a strong promise to dismantle what it described as entrenched links between drugs and politics. Majithia was repeatedly projected by the party as a symbol of the old political order it sought to challenge. His continued incarceration was highlighted by the government as evidence of accountability, making the Supreme Court’s bail order a blow to that narrative.

Responding to the ruling, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the bail should not be interpreted as exoneration. He emphasised that the case remains under trial and that investigating agencies continue to have what he described as strong evidence. Cheema added that bail is only a temporary legal relief and does not amount to a clean chit for the Akali leader.

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Majithia’s legal troubles span multiple political regimes. An NDPS case against him was registered during the Congress government led by Charanjit Singh Channi, placing him at the centre of Punjab’s drug crisis debate. He later secured bail in that case as well, which had weakened the Congress party’s claims at the time. After the AAP assumed office, a disproportionate assets case was filed, widely seen as an attempt to sustain legal pressure through a new route.

Politically, the bail order strengthens the opposition’s argument that the Mann government has pursued Majithia as a political target rather than building an unassailable legal case. Majithia has consistently alleged political vendetta, and the Supreme Court’s intervention has lent traction to that claim in public discourse, even as the trial continues.

For the Akali Dal, which has been attempting to regain political ground, the development provides a rallying point. Senior party leader Daljit Cheema accused the AAP government of misusing investigative agencies to silence critics and claimed Majithia’s rights were violated. In Punjab’s highly charged political environment, the bail order may not conclude the legal proceedings, but it has clearly reshaped the political narrative around them.

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