The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday cancelled the interim protection from arrest granted to former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, reported ANI.

Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on December 20. He had moved the High Court for anticipatory bail after a Mohali court dismissed his plea on December 24.

The High Court had granted him interim protection from arrest on January 10 and directed him to join the investigation two days later. On January 18, the court extended the order till January 24.

Majithia can now either move the Supreme Court or surrender.

The Punjab government had told the court that Majithia had not fully cooperated during the investigation, reported The Tribune. Monday’s order was passed by Justice Lisa Gill after hearing the final arguments on his bail plea.

In his plea, Majithia, a Shiromani Akali Dal leader, contended that targeting him was a major election plank of the Congress government in the state. Punjab will go to poll on February 20 and the results will be announced on March 10.

Majithia, who is the brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, is a prominent face of the party. He is the brother of former Punjab Cabinet minister and party leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

The FIR against Majithia had been registered based on a report of a Special Task Force that was submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2018. It has been filed at the Punjab State Crime Police Station at Mohali.