AMRITSAR, June 29: Talbir Gill, a former close aide and personal assistant to senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, recorded his statement before the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Sunday in connection with the ongoing probe into a disproportionate assets and money laundering case against Majithia.
The case, which stems from Majithia’s alleged involvement in a drug-related financial network, includes accusations of laundering ₹540 crore in ‘drug money’ and amassing wealth far beyond his known sources of income. Majithia was arrested on June 25 from his Green Avenue residence in Amritsar.
Speaking to reporters after his questioning, Talbir Gill confirmed that he had been summoned by the Vigilance Bureau and had cooperated fully. “I have recorded my statement with the agency. It is a serious matter and still under investigation, so I can’t share the details,” he said.
Vigilance officers from Mohali reportedly questioned Gill for over an hour. When asked about the nature of the interrogation, Gill suggested that this round of questioning had taken a new direction. “This time the Vigilance questioned me from a different angle, probably related to financial matters,” he said, without elaborating.
Gill, who unsuccessfully contested the Amritsar South Assembly seat in the past and later joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2024 following a fallout with the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership, clarified that he was under no duress. “There was no pressure from anyone. I answered all questions befittingly and will continue to cooperate with the authorities,” he stated.
The Vigilance Bureau has not yet released an official statement on Gill’s deposition. Sources, however, indicate that investigators are probing specific financial transactions and past dealings between Gill and Majithia that could offer insight into the laundering trail.
Majithia’s arrest has reignited political tensions in Punjab, with rival parties trading barbs over the timing and direction of the investigation. The former cabinet minister, long under the scanner for alleged links to the drug mafia, now faces intensified scrutiny over the scale and sources of his assets.
With Gill’s deposition, the investigation appears to be expanding beyond Majithia’s immediate financial records and into the network of aides and associates who may have handled key transactions or documents.
Further summons and questioning are expected in the coming weeks, even as the Vigilance Bureau seeks to build a watertight case around what it alleges is a deeply entrenched network of illicit financial activity linked to Punjab’s long-standing drug trade.
