Chandigarh | A major anti-corruption operation in Punjab has triggered political and administrative shockwaves after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at the Punjab Vigilance Bureau office in Mohali in connection with an alleged ₹25 lakh bribery case. During the operation, a suspected “middleman” was arrested, while the role of an employee linked to the vigilance establishment also came under scrutiny. Following the raid, the vigilance office was sealed and searches continued late into the night.
According to sources, the CBI’s initial operation began at a five-star hotel in Chandigarh, where an alleged bribery deal was reportedly being negotiated. Investigators had received information that a large sum was allegedly being demanded from a complainant in exchange for managing or influencing a high-value matter. During the operation, officials reportedly recovered ₹13 lakh in cash. A man identified as Raghav Goel was arrested and is being treated by investigators as a suspected intermediary in the case. He is said to be a resident of Malout in Punjab’s Muktsar district.
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Sources associated with the probe claimed that the role of a staff member linked to the vigilance department has also emerged as suspicious. Investigators suspect that he may have been involved in coordinating communications and facilitating the alleged bribery negotiations. However, he reportedly managed to leave before the operation intensified. Agencies are now examining his call records, financial transactions and professional contacts as part of the investigation.
The incident has also escalated political tensions in Punjab. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged on social media platform X that the CBI recovered cash linked to vigilance officials during the anti-corruption action. He further claimed that the vigilance setup in Punjab had allegedly become a centre of “harassment and corruption”.
Majithia also alleged that senior vigilance officials could not be contacted after the raid and claimed that investigating agencies were now examining the department’s internal network in greater depth. However, these allegations have not been independently verified at the official level. The CBI has so far shared only limited details and has not yet released a comprehensive statement on the case.
Sources said the latest operation may also be connected to a previous bribery scandal that surfaced last year involving the arrest of a senior Punjab Police officer. Investigators are now trying to determine whether a broader organised network was functioning to allegedly influence investigations, manage sensitive cases and facilitate illegal payments through intermediaries.
Renowned cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said corruption models are increasingly evolving into “network-based operations” involving multiple layers of communication and coordination. According to him, “In many modern corruption cases, direct cash exchange is replaced by intermediaries, digital communication channels and off-record meetings. Investigating agencies now need to go beyond cash recovery and focus on mapping the entire communication and financial network behind such operations.”
Experts believe the use of hotel meetings, encrypted chats, temporary mobile numbers and third-party bank accounts has made such investigations significantly more complex. As a result, agencies like the CBI are increasingly relying on digital forensics, call-data analysis and financial trail mapping to uncover hidden links within corruption and bribery networks.
At present, the CBI is examining official documents, electronic records and possible financial transaction data collected from the vigilance bureau office. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests, interrogations or major disclosures in the coming days. The operation has once again raised serious questions over transparency, accountability and anti-corruption mechanisms within Punjab’s administrative system.
