SIT questions SAD leader Majithia for over two hours in drugs case

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia was on Wednesday questioned for more than two hours by a special investigation team probing a drugs case registered against him.

Majithia, who was granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana high court two days ago, appeared before the SIT at the state crime branch at 11 am.

Talking to reporters after appearing before the SIT, he said he assured the investigating officers of his full cooperation in the case.

Majithia said he asked the officers to take note of Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu's statement on the appointment of Siddharth Chattopadhyaya to the post of director general of police and also the comments of deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa against him.

The SAD leader again raised the issue of an alleged conspiracy hatched against him by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Randhawa.

Majithia's counsel Damanbir Singh Sobti said the former state minister was ready to assist in every possible investigation.

"He joined the probe today," said Sobti.

The high court on Monday had directed the SAD leader to join the investigation on Wednesday at 11 am, while granting him anticipatory bail in the matter.

The ex-minister was asked not to leave the country till the next date of hearing and was also requested to share with the investigating agency his live location through WhatsApp.

Majithia (46), who was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act last month, had moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail after a Mohali court dismissed his pre-arrest bail plea on December 24.

Majithia is the brother-in-law of Sukhbir Badal and the brother of former Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Majithia, who made his first public appearance on Tuesday after registration of the case against him, had accused Channi and Randhawa of hatching a conspiracy against him.

Majithia had also dubbed registration of the case against him a 'political vendetta.'

The former Punjab minister was booked on December 20 last year under the NDPS Act on the basis of a 2018 report of a probe into a drugs racket operating in the state.

The report was filed by anti-drug special task force chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu in the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2018.

The 49-page FIR in the matter was registered by the state Crime Branch at its Mohali police station.