The HC had dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. (File Photo) The Supreme Court on Thursday gave Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia protection from arrest in a drugs case till January 31, when it will hear his anticipatory bail plea, and directed the Punjab government not to take any action until then.
“Tell your state not to do anything. We will hear [the plea] on Monday (January 31),” Chief Justice of India N V Ramana told senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the Punjab government.
A case under the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, was registered against Majithia in Mohali last December. The Akali Dal leader, who will fight the coming Punjab Assembly election directly against Congress’s Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East, has previously said the case was a conspiracy against him.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Majithia on Thursday, reiterated before the court that this was a case of “political vendetta”.
The CJI then remarked in a lighter vein, “I do not know if this is election fever or election virus. Everyone is rushing to the courts now.”
Earlier this week, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the Akali Dal leader’s anticipatory bail plea. He was earlier granted interim bail anticipatory bail on the condition that he cooperate with the Punjab Police’s investigation into the case.
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