Police officials confirmed that multiple teams were deployed to arrest Majithia and other individuals named in the First Information Report (FIR). However, the operation concluded without any arrest as Majithia was reportedly not present at his residence when the police teams arrived.
According to the Punjab Police, Majithia was part of an unlawful assembly that allegedly attempted to secure the release of detainee Jobanpreet from Majitha Police Station on Sunday. The police alleged that the crowd entered the police station premises, created disorder, damaged public property and forcibly freed the detainee, raising serious concerns over law enforcement and security.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sohail Mir stated that Jobanpreet had been arrested in connection with Case No. 90 registered at Majitha Police Station on May 30 and was being interrogated when a large crowd gathered outside the police station at approximately 11:30 a.m.
“In Case No. 90 registered at Majitha Police Station on May 30, we arrested an accused named Jobanpreet and formally placed him under arrest. While he was being interrogated, around 11:30 a.m., a crowd gathered outside the police station to secure his release. They forcefully entered the police station as part of a pre-planned conspiracy and threatened police personnel,” Mir told reporters.
He further alleged that members of the crowd searched various rooms inside the police station before entering the interrogation room. According to the police, they threatened officers with weapons, damaged case files and forcibly removed Jobanpreet from police custody.
“The Station House Officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police reached the spot and attempted to reason with them. Despite their efforts, the group tried to take him away. The police managed to regain control and place him back into custody and inside the lockup,” Mir said.
The Senior Superintendent of Police added that a case had already been registered in connection with the incident and raids were being conducted at multiple locations to apprehend those involved.
“Taking cognisance of this incident, a case has already been registered and we are conducting raids at various locations. The accused will be arrested soon. We have named six accused so far, but more individuals are being identified. Bikram Singh Majithia was also part of the unlawful assembly,” he said.
Rejecting the allegations, Majithia’s lawyer Arshdeep Singh Kler claimed that Jobanpreet, who served as a polling agent for the Shiromani Akali Dal during the recently concluded municipal elections, had never been placed inside the police lockup and was instead found inside the Station House Officer’s room.
Kler further alleged that Jobanpreet had been illegally detained without any formal arrest procedures. He questioned why the police had failed to issue any notice before taking him into custody and stated that a petition had already been filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the alleged illegal detention.
Responding sharply to the raid, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal described the entire episode as an act of political vendetta by the Punjab government.
“This is political vendetta. They are misleading people and acting out of frustration. They made every effort in Majithia’s constituency, first attempting to cancel votes and then trying to influence polling booths, but Majithia still won. They have now made it a prestige issue to send him to jail. This is a planned operation by the Punjab government,” Badal said.
Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal also criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the registration of the case against Majithia.
“The individual who injured one of our leaders was taken out of the police station by the officer in charge of Majitha, yet no action was taken against him. However, a person who was allegedly being held illegally at the Station House Officer’s residence without any FIR and who was allegedly facing a possible encounter was rescued, and an FIR was instead registered against Majithia,” she said.
She further accused the state government of misusing the police force and targeting the former minister for political reasons.
“The entire state is witnessing the Chief Minister’s frustration. Why is he afraid of Bikram Majithia? Why is the police force being misused? What wrongdoing has Bikram committed? The decline in the ruling party’s vote share during the Lok Sabha elections reflects public sentiment. This action is merely an expression of political frustration. Apart from political vendetta, what else have they done? The condition of law and order reflects the condition of the government itself,” Harsimrat Kaur Badal added.
The incident has intensified the political confrontation between the Punjab government and the Shiromani Akali Dal, with allegations of unlawful assembly, interference in police operations and claims of political persecution now at the centre of a rapidly escalating controversy. As police continue raids and investigations, the case is expected to remain a significant political and legal flashpoint in Punjab.
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