Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s officer on special duty (OSD) Rajbir Singh Ghuman and five other accused did not appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Chandigarh on Wednesday after being summoned in connection with a corruption case involving alleged bribery and influence-peddling.
People familiar with the matter said Ghuman did not appear as he had not formally been served the summons. He also decided to wait for the Supreme Court to take up the Punjab government’s plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court order that directed the CBI to register a case and investigate the allegations.
The CBI, meanwhile, continued its searches on Wednesday. A team reached Western Towers in Kharar around 7pm and concluded the search around 9pm. The premises searched were reportedly the residence of Nitin Gohal, one of the accused in the case.
Ghuman separately approached the special CBI court in Chandigarh, seeking contempt proceedings against the investigating team over the publication of the FIR. The court issued notice to the CBI and directed the agency to file its response by October 12.
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In his application before the CBI court, Ghuman’s lawyer Ferry Sofat argued that the agency had earlier sought exemption from uploading the FIR, citing the sensitive nature of the case, and that the court had allowed the request. Sofat alleged that despite this, the FIR was made available to the media and the public, and claimed that its disclosure was intended to tarnish Ghuman’s reputation.
The application seeks production of records showing how the FIR was made public and initiation of contempt proceedings against those responsible.
The CBI registered a 251-page FIR on October 5 following the high court’s directions. Ghuman has been named accused number one, along with alleged middleman Nitin Gohal, his brother Jitin Gohal, alias Raja, another OSD in the chief minister’s office, Romi Raja Mahajan, AAP youth wing leader Bir Devinder and businessman RS Nagra. The FIR also refers to unknown public servants and private individuals.
The case has been registered under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 7, 7A, 8 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The FIR was registered at a CBI police station in Delhi, with the alleged offences dating from 2023 to 2026.
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The investigation follows three letters sent by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav, detailing 61 alleged instances of wrongdoing. The letters were submitted before the high court, which subsequently directed the CBI to investigate the allegations.
The high court had observed that the material supplied by the ED prima facie indicated the involvement of high public officials and warranted registration of an FIR and a proper investigation.
According to the CBI FIR, the ED alleged that Gohal acted as an intermediary for Ghuman and, in collusion with him and others, operated an alleged bribery network. The allegations emerged during the ED’s money-laundering investigation into GMADA land allotments.
The allegations cited in the FIR include alleged interference in policy formulation, amendments to departmental rules, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing and change-of-land-use matters. The document also refers to alleged influence over demarcation proceedings, property disputes, housing schemes, transfers and postings, and government decisions.
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CBI teams had conducted searches at eight locations across Punjab on Tuesday, including Ghuman’s official residence in Sector 2, Chandigarh, which was being used as a camp office, and his ancestral home at Gharachon in Sangrur district. Electronic devices, including laptops and mobile phones, as well as financial and administrative documents, were reportedly seized.
The Punjab government has simultaneously moved the Supreme Court through a special leave petition challenging the high court order and seeking a stay on the CBI proceedings.
Assistant Editor with the Punjab Bureau of Hindustan Times, based in Chandigarh. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, I report on politics, governance, national security, law enforcement, elections, health and public policy, with a special focus on Punjab.Over the years, I have covered major political developments, policing, organised crime, anti-drug operations, and legislative affairs, delivering several exclusive and investigative reports. Having experience of covering Punjab with permanent postings at Bathinda, Patiala, Ludhiana and Jalandhar in various capacities before moving to Punjab Bureau in 2017. Headed Doaba Bureau for three years at Jalandhar.Before joining the Hindustan Times in Punjab worked as a stringer in journalist in Himachal Pradesh, building extensive experience in grassroots reporting. Hold postgraduate degrees in Journalism and Mass Communication from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.Read More