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The Supreme Court connected Monday (January 19, 2026) agreed to see an interim bail plea filed by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) person Bikram Singh Majithia successful a lawsuit registered nether the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets exceeding ₹540 crore. The tribunal besides indicated that it would see shifting him to a situation successful Chandigarh to code immoderate perceived menace to his safety.
Mr. Majithia, who is presently lodged successful Nabha Jail successful Patiala, was arrested successful June past twelvemonth by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau successful transportation with the disproportionate assets case. He is the brother-in-law of erstwhile Punjab Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Senior advocator Gaurav Aggarwal, appearing for Mr. Majithia, informed a Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that determination was a “grave threat” to his client’s life. He relied connected a State quality study dated January 3, which, according to him, acknowledged the beingness of specified a threat.
“Please spot the State’s ain quality study dated January 3, 2026. Their officers themselves person recorded that determination is simply a threat,” Mr. Aggarwal said.
Justice Mehta, however, sought circumstantial particulars and asked whether immoderate effort had been made connected Mr. Majithia’s beingness portion helium was successful custody. “You allege that determination is simply a menace to life. Since erstwhile person you been successful prison? How galore attempts connected your beingness person been made?” helium asked.
In response, Mr. Aggarwal informed the tribunal that his lawsuit had been successful custody astatine Nabha Jail since June past year.
Justice Mehta past indicated that the Bench would see shifting Mr. Majithia to a situation successful Chandigarh oregon different State to mitigate immoderate threat. “We volition person him shifted to different State truthful that determination is nary threat,” the justice remarked.
Mr. Aggarwal, however, urged the Bench to instrumentality up the interim bail plea first, stating that his lawsuit posed nary formation risk. “Please see interim bail. I americium not going to tally away,” helium said.
At this point, Justice Mehta observed that the lawsuit progressive “₹540 crore of nationalist money”. Mr. Aggarwal, however, clarified that, according to the chargesheet, the allegation was confined to ₹40 crore.
Senior advocator Siddharth Dave, appearing for the State, sought clip to record a response. He further informed the Bench that the Punjab and Haryana High Court was already seized of the substance and that the State Government had assured the High Court that each indispensable steps were being taken to guarantee the petitioner’s safety.
Accordingly, the Bench granted the State Government 2 weeks to record its effect and posted the substance for further proceeding connected February 2.
The corruption lawsuit was registered connected the ground of a June 2025 study submitted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which probed an earlier First Information Report (FIR) registered against Mr. Majithia and others nether the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The SIT study alleged that Mr. Majithia and his woman had accumulated wealthiness exceeding ₹540 crore done amerciable entities.
Denying him bail, the High Court had said that the worldly placed by the prosecution disclosed a prima facie lawsuit indicating that helium possessed ample amounts of unaccounted wealth successful his slope accounts. However, the tribunal had directed that the probe beryllium completed successful 3 months.
“The petitioner is accused of superior economical offences. Investigation of the lawsuit has revealed ample amounts of unaccounted wealth successful his slope accounts, arsenic good arsenic the mounting up of a ample fig of companies done which fiscal transactions person been carried retired surreptitiously for his benefit. It has besides travel to the announcement of the investigating bureau that wealth has been routed done immoderate overseas entities based successful Singapore and Cyprus”, the High Court had ruled.
Highlighting the request to safeguard the integrity of the investigation, the High Court had besides noted that the investigating bureau had cited astir 20 worldly witnesses who were considered vulnerable.
“In lawsuit the petitioner is to beryllium released from custody astatine this stage, the anticipation of his influencing the further people of investigation, trying to screen up the questionable transactions, manipulating the grounds relating to the same, and influencing the acrophobic persons/witnesses not to cooperate with the investigating agency, cannot beryllium ruled out”, Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya, had said successful a 20-page order.
