NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: CBI registered an FIR against Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s OSD Rajbir Ghuman and five others Tuesday, following it up with raids on eight locations, including the CM’s camp office in Chandigarh.The coordinated search came within hours of the state govt moving Supreme Court against Punjab and Haryana high court’s order for a CBI probe into ED’s allegation that a bribe syndicate influenced transfers, postings, tenders and policy decisions through the OSD.The search at Mann’s camp office in House No 50 of Sector 2 started around 6pm, sending shockwaves through the administration. It was at this office that Ghuman used to allegedly meet the co-accused, said CBI sources. A CBI team also visited Ghuman’s home in his village, Gharachon in Sangrur.
CBI said the case was registered following a court order that was based on an ED report. The investigation centres on allegations of corruption and abuse of power and political influence. Apart from Ghuman, those named by CBI in the FIR are Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder, RS Nagra and “unknown public servant(s) and private person(s)”.Nitin is alleged to be a “liaison” in the “cash-for-transfer” scandal with access to Ghuman. His brother Jitin was allegedly provided access to CMO through Ghuman and Dr Romi Mahajan, described as an “associate” who allegedly worked with Ghuman and helped coordinate appointments. Devinder is an AAP youth activist and Nagra is a “private associate”.CBI searched premises linked to the accused in Chandigarh, Mohali, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur and Jalandhar and seized laptops, mobile phones and financial documents.
After CBI raid in graft probe, Punjab CM claims BJP has started poll preparation
The seized laptops, mobile phones and documents are currently undergoing forensic scrutiny to establish evidence of bribery, official impropriety, and financial paper trails.Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann responded through a post on X in Punjabi, “BJP has started preparations for Punjab elections. A CBI raid was conducted at my camp office. Now ED and CBI will be misused in Punjab so that Punjab govt and I can be defamed. BJP is in panic as it sees the love received from people.”CBI said the FIR is meant to investigate allegations of corruption against OSD to CM, Rajbir Ghuman, and his associates for “influencing and manipulating postings of officers, including that of IAS and IPS officers, departmental proceedings, matters pertaining to policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land use conversion matters, property disputes, revenue and land-related issues in lieu of pecuniary benefits”.“It is also alleged that the accused public servants purportedly accessed and provided drafts of orders and policies to private persons prior to their issuance by the govt,” said CBI, adding that those named in the FIR include two public servants, middlemen, and associates.
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ED had conducted searches in Punjab from May 7-10 in a PMLA case and written to the DGP on July 30 to register a case.Advocate Nikhil Saraf filed a PIL in HC, alleging ED had written three letters to the Punjab DGP, seeking registration of an FIR against Ghuman and others, yet Punjab Police didn’t do so.On Monday, a division bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor heard the PIL and said, “We are not impressed by the manner in which Punjab Police has acted so far and, therefore, deem it appropriate to entrust investigation to CBI.”
