CHANDIGARH: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the drug case involving senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia has been reconstituted. Majithia is the brother-in-law of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
In another development, the Punjab government has also shifted the investigation into the Pearl Group chit-fund fraud case to the state vigilance bureau.
In the reconstituted SIT, MS Chhina, IGP (Patiala Range) will head the SIT in place of Rahul S, DIG Vigilance Bureau. The other members of the SIT will remain unchanged. Rahul S was reportedly facing flak for not submitting challans in the drugs cases.
Sources said since Rahul was posted in the Vigilance Bureau and was supervising a large number of corruption cases, his shifting was imminent. Besides, SIT needed an officer who is posted in the field to head it so that the investigation was more focused.
In December 2021, Majithia was booked under the NDPS Act for helping drug smugglers and remained in jail for a few months before being released on bail. However, the police investigation after the registration of the case did not make much progress.
Majithia has earlier claimed that he was innocent, saying the police had nothing against him, a reason why it could not submit the challan in the case. He also demanded the cancellation of the case.
Meanwhile, the state government has also shifted the investigation into the Pearl Group chit-fund fraud case to the state vigilance bureau.