Chandigarh, June 1
Punjab witnessed fresh political turbulence on Monday after Punjab Police carried out a high‑profile raid at the Amritsar residence of senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia. The operation was linked to an FIR alleging that Majithia and his supporters allegedly stormed Majitha police station a day earlier to forcibly secure the release of a detainee.
Police officials confirmed that teams had gone to arrest Majithia and others named in the case but returned empty‑handed as he was not present at home. According to sources, the FIR accuses Majithia of leading a group that entered the police station on Sunday and attempted to free Jobanjit Singh, a Kirti Kisan Union activist who had served as an SAD polling agent during the recent municipal elections.
The incident reportedly began with Jobanjit Singh’s detention on Sunday morning, sparking a protest outside the police station by union members. Majithia later arrived with supporters, leading to a confrontation with police. Authorities allege the crowd breached the premises and tried to release Singh from custody, raising serious security concerns.
Majithia, however, rejected the charges, insisting that Singh was not in lock‑up but found inside the Station House Officer’s room. His counsel, Damanbir Singh Sobti, stated that the legal team has not yet received a copy of the FIR and questioned whether Majithia has formally been named or under which sections the case has been registered. Sobti reiterated that police are obliged to disclose grounds of arrest and added that Majithia’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
Senior police officials confirmed that 12 special teams have been formed to trace and arrest all accused, with raids underway at multiple locations. Investigators are reviewing CCTV footage and other digital evidence from the police station.
The episode has further inflamed political tensions in Punjab, with Akali leaders and Kirti Kisan Union members alleging that Singh’s detention was politically motivated, linked to his role in the civic polls. Amritsar SSP Sohail Qasim Mir is expected to brief the media on the developments.
