Punjab police summons Akali leader Majithia in drugs case | Chandigarh News - India News

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3 min readAmritsarUpdated: Dec 12, 2023 01:27 PM IST

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) handling the drugs case against senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia has summoned him at its chairman’s office in Patiala on December 18.

Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on December 20, 2021, during the tenure of the Congress government led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

The case stemmed from a 2018 report by Harpreet Singh Sidhu, the former head of the anti-drug Special Task Force, which recommended further investigation.

Majithia took to the social media to share the contents of the summon, and said he had been expecting it. Calling it a ‘love letter’ from Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, he alleged that the police were under pressure to summon him. He also pointed out that the High Court has issued a stay on the proceedings of the case in which the government wanted to “implicate” his wife.

Majithia has been striking an increasingly belligerent posture against the government and has also launched several personal attacks against the CM.

The Punjab Bureau of Investigation had booked Majithia under sections 25 (punishment for allowing one’s premises for its use for the commission of an offence), 27 A (punishment for financing illicit trafficking and harbouring offenders) and 29 (for abetting or plotting an offence) of the NDPS Act, at the Punjab State Crime Police Station in Mohali on December 20, 2021.

A month later, on January 24, 2022, when campaigning for the assembly elections was underway, the state counsel opposed Majithia’s bail application before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and underlined the need for custodial interrogation.

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Four days after the voting concluded, the Special Investigating Team took Majithia into custody when he appeared before the Additional Sessions Judge-cum-Judge Special Court in SAS Nagar, Mohali, on February 24, 2022.

Subsequently, on the same day, it presented Majithia in the court of Mukesh Kumar Singla, Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, SAS Nagar. Instead of seeking police remand for custodial interrogation, the SIT requested for his judicial custody. There were no further remand.

In May this year, the Punjab Police replaced the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), appointing Mukhwinder Singh Chhina, the then IG of Patiala range, in place of Rahul S, the then Vigilance Bureau Director, citing ‘administrative grounds’.

Kamaldeep Singh Brar is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, primarily covering Amritsar and the Majha region of Punjab. He is one of the publication’s key reporters for stories involving the Akal Takht, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the sensitive socio-political issues of the border districts.

Core Beats & Specializations

Religious & Panthic Affairs: He has deep expertise in the internal workings of the Akal Takht and SGPC, frequently reporting on religious sentences (Tankhah), Panthic politics, and the influence of Sikh institutions.

National Security & Crime: His reporting covers cross-border drug smuggling, drone activities from Pakistan, and the activities of radical groups.

Regional Politics: He is the primary correspondent for the Majha belt, covering elections and political shifts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur.

Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)

His work in late 2025 has been centered on judicial developments, local body elections, and religious controversies:

1. Religious Politics & Akal Takht

“Akal Takht pronounces religious sentences against former Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh” (Dec 8, 2025): Covering the historic decision to hold the former Jathedar guilty for granting a pardon to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in 2015.

“YouTube suspends SGPC’s channel for a week over video on 1984 Army action” (Nov 20, 2025): Reporting on the digital friction between global tech platforms and Sikh religious bodies.

“As AAP govt grants Amritsar holy tag, a look at its fraught demand” (Nov 28, 2025): An analytical piece on the long-standing demand for declaring Amritsar a “holy city” and its political implications.

2. Crime & National Security

“Mostly Khalistanis on Amritpal’s hit list: Punjab govt to High Court” (Dec 16, 2025): Reporting on the state government’s claims regarding jailed MP Amritpal Singh orchestrating activity from prison.

“Punjab man with links to Pakistan’s ISI handlers killed in encounter” (Nov 20, 2025): Detailing a police operation in Amritsar involving “newly refurbished” firearms likely sent from across the border.

“15 schools in Amritsar get bomb threat emails; police launch probe” (Dec 12, 2025): Covering the panic and police response to mass threats against educational institutions.

3. Political Analysis & Elections

“AAP wins 12 of 15 zones in SAD stronghold Majitha” (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant shift in the 2025 rural elections where the Akali Dal lost its grip on a traditional fortress.

“Tarn Taran bypoll: woman faces threats after complaining to CM Mann about drug menace” (Nov 9, 2025): A ground report on the personal risks faced by citizens speaking out against the illegal drug trade in border villages.

“AAP wins Tarn Taran bypoll, but SAD finds silver lining” (Nov 14, 2025): Analyzing the 2025 assembly by-election results and the surprising performance of Independents backed by radical factions.

4. Human Interest

“Two couples and a baby: Punjab drug addiction tragedy has new victims” (Nov 20, 2025): A tragic investigative piece about parents selling an infant to fund their addiction.

“Kashmiri women artisans debut at Amritsar’s PITEX” (Dec 8, 2025): A feature on financial independence initiatives for rural women at the Punjab International Trade Expo.

Signature Beat

Kamaldeep is known for his nuanced understanding of border dynamics. His reporting often highlights the “drug crisis in the underprivileged localities” (like Muradpur in Tarn Taran, Nov 9, 2025), providing a voice to marginalized communities affected by addiction and administrative neglect.

X (Twitter): @kamalsbrar … Read More

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