The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to former Punjab Cabinet Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a corruption case related to allegations of amassing disproportionate assets (DA) worth over Rs 540 crore.
The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta took into account various factors, including the completion of the investigation with the filing of the police report under Section 173(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Majithia’s incarceration for over seven months, and the fact that the alleged check period pertained to a decade-old span between 2007 and 2017, to allow the appeal filed by the SAD leader.
The Apex Court further took in view the fact that Majithia was earlier granted bail in a case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in August 2022. That order was subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court in April 2025, while dismissing the Punjab government’s plea challenging the verdict.
The Bench also considered the submissions that the present disproportionate assets case, though founded on material that surfaced during the NDPS investigation, was registered only in 2025 and did not disclose allegations of custodial non-cooperation or attempts to obstruct the investigation following Majithia’s arrest.
The top court of the country recorded in its order that the prosecution would remain at liberty to move the trial court for the imposition of stringent bail conditions, as deemed necessary, to safeguard the integrity of the proceedings, prevent witness intimidation, and ensure the accused’s availability during trial.
The proceedings before the Supreme Court arose from a petition challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order, which declined bail to Majithia despite the filing of an extensive charge sheet reportedly running into nearly 40,000 pages and citing 272 witnesses. Earlier in December 2025, the top court of the country had issued notice on Majithia’s plea.
The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of a report dated June 7, 2025, submitted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted in connection with the earlier NDPS case. The SIT alleged that Majithia and his spouse had amassed assets disproportionate to their lawful income through an alleged network of domestic and overseas entities, including corporate structures with financial linkages traced to foreign jurisdictions.
According to the agency, unexplained cash deposits, inter-corporate transactions, foreign investments, and benami arrangements were used to acquire movable and immovable assets. It further alleged that Majithia misused his position as a legislator and later as a Cabinet Minister to build interests in sectors such as liquor manufacturing, transport, and aviation through relatives and proxy entities.
The Counsel appearing for Majithia had contended before the High Court that the corruption case amounted to a derivative prosecution based on the same material forming part of the NDPS investigation and that registration of a subsequent FIR was legally impermissible. He alleged political vendetta and selective prosecution, while submitting that continued custodial detention was unwarranted once the investigation concluded.
Rejecting these submissions, the High Court had relied on settled principles recognising that the emergence of distinct offences or a broader conspiracy during investigation could justify the registration of a subsequent FIR. It further held that economic offences stood on a distinct footing due to their serious implications for public finances and governance, and expressed apprehension that release on bail at the current stage could impede further investigation or influence witnesses.
While declining bail, the High Court had directed the investigating agency to conclude any remaining investigation within a stipulated timeframe, observing that prolonged incarceration without commencement of trial would infringe the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty.
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