Majithia moves HC against ‘illegal arrest’ | Chandigarh News

Chandigarh: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia has approached the Punjab and Haryana high court against his “illegal” arrest by the Punjab Police in a corruption case.According to Majithia, the FIR dated June 25 registered against him by the vigilance bureau in Mohali is a result of political witch-hunting and vendetta, initiated by the present political dispensation. It has also been stated that the sole object of the FIR is to malign and harass him for being a vocal critic and political opponent.As per the petition, he was kept in illegal custody on June 25 for few hours before his formal arrest was made. “The remand application filed by the investigating agency lacked any concrete or urgent investigative ground and merely relied on broad, speculative allegations such as his alleged influence, foreign connections, and general statements about the need to confront him with documents or digital devices. These assertions clearly reflect a motive to extract a confession or admission from the petitioner in violation of the constitutional provisions,” Majithia claimed in his plea.The petition filed by the senior leader also alleged that the magistrate, while granting remand, failed to record mandatory satisfaction as required under rules, including examining case diaries, recording reasons for police custody, and ascertaining the existence of a specific investigative need.“There is not even a whisper in the order to suggest that the magistrate applied his judicial mind or considered the prior order of the Supreme Court placed before him, especially when custodial interrogation on the same facts was already declined by the apex court,” Majithia mentioned in his plea.According to the plea, the SC in its detailed order dated March 4 refused his custodial interrogation despite the same allegations being pressed before it via multiple affidavits filed by the state of Punjab. It has been further claimed that despite his cooperation and findings of the apex court, the state once again resorted to seeking police custody by concealing material facts and misrepresenting urgency before the magistrate.MSID:: 122187285 413 |