CHANDIGARH: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a 251-page First Information Report against Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and five others, following a directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to probe corruption allegations. The case centers on alleged transactions between government officials and private individuals involving the purported use of official influence in administrative decisions, official postings, commercial tenders, and land-use matters.
Multi-Location Searches Follow High Court Directives
Acting on the court order, the agency carried out searches at eight premises across Punjab and Chandigarh on Tuesday evening, continuing the operation for more than six hours. The FIR invokes provisions relating to criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alongside Sections 7, 7A, 8, and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Besides Ghuman, the FIR names Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder, and rice sheller owner Rajdeep Singh Nagra, in addition to unidentified public servants and private persons. The inquiry covers alleged activities spanning from 2023 to 2026, stemming from an official complaint filed by Akshay Kumar, Assistant Director at the Enforcement Directorate’s Jalandhar zonal office, with the investigation assigned to CBI officer K.L. Moses.
Scrutiny of Electronic Chats and State Power Postings
The CBI’s formal case incorporates findings from the High Court’s October 5 order and communication shared by the ED with the Punjab Director General of Police during a money-laundering inquiry into Nitin Gohal. The central agency’s records highlight electronic conversations and documents that purportedly detail requests regarding postings, state tenders, and unauthorized access to government files.
Among the specific matters cited in the FIR are communications regarding the proposed placement of an Additional Superintendent Engineer within Punjab State Power Corporation Limited at Mohali. Investigators are also scrutinizing communications concerning coal-mining tenders, thermal power plants, and coal transportation arrangements to determine the full scope of outside interference.
Probe Extends to Financial Trails and Legal Appeals
The case files further reference alleged vehicle maintenance expenditures, purported hawala channels, internship letters, and educational course enrollments, all of which are being reviewed to establish whether unlawful influence or illicit payments took place. The investigative agencies have stressed that the roles and exchanges detailed in the preliminary documents remain under active verification.
In response to the developments, the Punjab government has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court order directing the federal probe. Further administrative and legal measures in the matter will depend on the findings of the ongoing CBI inquiry and the outcomes of hearings before the higher judiciary.
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