Chandigarh [India], December 4 : The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday dismissed Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia's bail plea in the alleged money laundering case.
Additional Advocate General of Punjab and Haryana HC, Ferry Sofat, said that Majithia was arrested in connection with illicit fund transfers, and based on these transactions, the court dismissed his plea.
Majithia had cited prolonged custody and alleged a "political vendetta" to demand bail in the case.
"He was arrested on 25 June based on an SIT report of illicit fund transfers through various companies. Majithia's plea was that the proceedings and custody have been prolonged, and it is all a political vendetta. The court recognised the seriousness of the matter and rejected his petition today. There were many shell companies involved in money-laundering transactions. Funds were transferred into these companies from Cyprus, and based on all these arguments, the court dismissed his bail petition," Advocate Ferry Sofat told ANI.
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau took the former Punjab minister into custody on June 25 in a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, following searches at his house in Amritsar. He was brought to Mohali the next day, and the court sent him into custody under the Vigilance Bureau.
On July 8, during the hearing of his initial bail plea, the prosecutor stated that the bail application submitted contained certain errors, following which the court directed that the application be filed again.
Following his arrest, SAD leader Daljit S Cheema had criticised the security measures implemented by the Punjab government arrest and compared it to the Emergency.
He further alleged vendetta politics by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government in the State." This government wants to defame the Akali Dal leadership by spreading lies and false propaganda. This is vendetta politics," he said.