In an appeal brought by the Punjab government against the P&H High Court's decision granting regular bail to Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in connection with a drug case, Justice Surya Kant of the Supreme Court withdrew himself on January 30. 

The case was brought up before the justices Surya Kant and JK Maheshwari's bench. 

Justice Surya Kant, who was presiding over the bench, stated that he had headed the High Court panel that ordered the Special Task Force to examine the case when Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, who was representing the Punjab government, began making his arguments.

After a lengthy deliberation, the bench ruled that the case be brought before a bench that Justice Kant is not a member of. 

It should be mentioned that the former minister and Senior Leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal had been granted bail by the P&H HC in the drug case brought against him. 

Majithia had argued before the HC that the cases brought against him under the NDPS Act were entirely political in nature and had been tainted by ulterior political objectives. Majithia was further claimed to be a mainstream politician with no criminal history who had agreed to cooperate completely with the investigative team and to participate in the probe under any conditions the court may impose.

The SAD Leader was given permission to petition the Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the granting of bail and for the quashing of the FIR that had been filed against him in the NDPS matter by a bench made up of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and PS Narasimha last year.

Case Title: THE STATE OF PUNJAB Versus BIKRAM SINGH MAJITHIA 
Diary Number - 35970/2022