Supreme Court Grants Bail To Former Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia In Corruption Case

The Supreme Court today granted bail to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a corruption case involving alleged accumulation of over Rs.540 crores in disproportionate assets.On the last date, Majithia had prayed for interim bail citing an apprehension of threat to life.A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the order, after hearing Senior Advocate Dr S Muralidhar (for Majithia) and Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave (for the State)."Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, and in particular the fact that the petitioner was granted bail in the earlier NDPS matter in 2022, against which the SLP filed by the state was dismissed by this court in 2025, and further the petitioner has already been in custody for the last 7 months, and the police report under Section 173(2) has already been filed, further the fact that the disproportionate assets case relates to the check period from 2007-2017, and the FIR has been lodged in 2025 under PC Act, we are inclined to grant bail. It would be open for prosecution to impress upon trial court to impose stringent conditions on the petitioner while releasing him on bail as may be necessary", the Court ordered.After the order was dictated, Dave requested the Court to impose 2 bail conditions, including one restraining Majithia's travel. However, the bench left it open for the prosecution to seek imposition of stringent conditions before the trial court. "We are not imposing the conditions", said Justice Nath.Majithia filed the present petition against a Punjab and Haryana High Court order which dismissed his bail plea in the FIR registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under Sections 13(1)(b) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Notice was issued on the plea in December, 2025.The FIR was registered on the basis of a June 7, 2025 report of a Special Investigation Team probing an earlier NDPS case against Majithia. The SIT alleged that Majithia and his wife had accumulated assets worth over Rs.540 crores, disproportionate to their known sources of income, through a network of domestic and foreign entities. The allegations related to the period when Majithia served as an MLA and later as a Cabinet Minister in Punjab between 2007 and 2017.In its order, the High Court recorded the State's case that Majithia exercised direct or indirect control over several companies, including Saraya Industries Limited and its subsidiaries, and that large unexplained cash deposits, foreign investments routed through Cyprus and Singapore based entities, and inter-corporate transactions were used to acquire assets and benami properties. The State also alleged misuse of official position to build interests in liquor, transport and aviation businesses through family members and front entities.Majithia argued before the High Court that the corruption case was an offshoot of the NDPS case in which he had already been granted bail in August 2022, and that the Supreme Court had dismissed the State's plea for cancellation of that bail in April 2025. He contended that the same material could not be used to register a fresh FIR and that the case was politically motivated. He also highlighted that the investigation was complete as chargesheet had been filed on August 22, 2025, running into about 40,000 pages with 272 witnesses.Rejecting these submissions, the High Court held that there was no bar on registration of a second FIR when investigation reveals a larger conspiracy or distinct offences, and relied on Supreme Court precedent on economic offences constituting a separate class for the purpose of bail.It observed that the allegations indicated deep-rooted financial conspiracies with adverse implications for the State's financial health and that release at that stage could hamper further investigation and influence witnesses.While declining bail, the High Court directed the investigating agency to complete the remaining investigation within three months and observed that Majithia could seek bail thereafter, noting that he could not be kept in custody indefinitely.Case Title: Bikram Singh Majithia v. State of Punjab, SLP(Crl) No. 20469/2025Click Here To Read/Download Order

Supreme Court Grants Bail To Former Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia In Corruption Case

Debby Jain

"Why do you want to keep him inside jail?" Justice Vikram Nath asked State.

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