# Punjab High Court Orders CBI Probe Against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's OSD Over Bribery Allegations

> The Punjab and Haryana High Court has transferred the corruption probe against Rajbir Singh Ghuman, OSD to CM Bhagwant Mann, to the CBI with a two-month deadline.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Punjab · **Published:** 2026-10-05 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/punjab/bhagwant-mann-ke-osd-para-ghusakhori-ka-aropa-high-court-ne-cbi-ko-saunpi-jancha-43538 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Government, CBI Probe, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab Haryana High Court

Ahead of assembly elections in Punjab, the governing Aam Aadmi Party has encountered a major legal and political setback. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to step in and probe bribery and extortion charges involving Rajbir Singh Ghuman, the Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Delivering its verdict on a public interest petition, the high court instructed the central agency to conclude its inquiries and place an official report before it within two months. While the judgment deals a direct blow to the ruling dispensation in Chandigarh, the state government has announced plans to approach the Supreme Court against the decision.

## Enforcement Directorate Communications and Public Interest Litigation
The judicial directive traces its roots to grave claims raised by the Enforcement Directorate. The financial investigation agency has alleged that Rajbir Singh Ghuman was running an extortion racket across the territory of Punjab, collecting crores of rupees by offering influence over government contracts and mining operations. Prompted by these findings, the Enforcement Directorate dispatched three separate letters to Punjab's Director General of Police seeking registration of a formal first information report against Ghuman. When local authorities did not act on these communications, a public interest litigation was brought before the high court, leading directly to the current handover to the central investigating body.

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## State Prepares Supreme Court Challenge Citing Revoked Consent
Unwilling to let the order stand, the state cabinet is preparing an appeal before the country's highest judicial forum. Outlining the government's stance, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema underscored that the central agency lacks jurisdiction without administrative clearance. Cheema pointed out that general consent for Central Bureau of Investigation operations within Punjab had already been rescinded under the previous Congress administration. On that basis, the minister argued that no domestic case in the state can be transferred to the central probe agency without the explicit approval of the elected state government.

## Opposition Mounts Sharp Attacks on Ruling Party Leadership
The court ruling triggered immediate and aggressive condemnation from rival political outfits across Punjab. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sambit Patra claimed that systemic corruption runs across every level of governance in the state and that rampant bribery has now received judicial validation. Patra remarked that Ghuman was merely a pawn in a broader conduit funneling kickbacks to top decision-makers, suggesting that the investigation's net would ultimately draw in Bhagwant Mann alongside Arvind Kejriwal.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia also targeted the ruling party, stating that the high court has stripped away the administration's claims of integrity. Majithia maintained that whether dealing with Rajbir Ghuman or Nitin Guhal, all individuals linked to the matter will face scrutiny as hidden details emerge. Congress Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla added that had the chief minister's administration been clean, it would have initiated a police complaint against its own OSD rather than leaving intervention to the judiciary. Aujla argued that voters were misled by rhetoric and would hold the leadership accountable. Earlier, Kejriwal had claimed that Punjab's assembly elections might take place ahead of schedule, declaring that Bhagwant Mann would remain the party's chief ministerial candidate.

## What this means for you
This judicial directive directly impacts administrative functioning and the political environment ahead of state polls.

- **In Punjab:** Oversight around public works tenders and sand mining operations is likely to face intense administrative scrutiny. With a key official in the chief minister's office under central investigation, everyday departmental file clearances could witness procedural delays.
- **Across India:** The upcoming legal battle in the Supreme Court will reignite constitutional debate regarding state consent for central agencies. The outcome may set broader legal precedents for central agency probes in states governed by opposition parties.
- **Impact on voters:** Bribery and clean-governance narratives will take center stage in the run-up to the state elections. Citizens will witness heightened political scrutiny over party manifestos and anticorruption claims.
- **Administrative accountability:** State law enforcement faces heightened pressure to act swiftly whenever central enforcement agencies raise alerts. The administrative handling of inter-agency requests is set to undergo stricter monitoring.

## Why this happened
The judicial intervention occurred after central enforcement alerts regarding large-scale extortion failed to trigger local police action, leading to litigation before the high court.

- **Extortion allegations:** The Enforcement Directorate uncovered evidence alleging that crores of rupees were being extorted in exchange for mining allotments and government contracts. The central financial agency pinpointed the official as the focal point of the racket.
- **Inaction on agency warnings:** The financial watchdog addressed three formal communications to the Punjab police chief demanding a police case, yet no action materialized. This official inaction opened the door for judicial intervention.
- **Public interest petition:** Faced with a lack of local police proceedings, citizens approached the high court, prompting judges to mandate an independent inquiry through the central probe bureau.
- **Jurisdictional disputes:** Because earlier administrations withdrew general consent for federal agencies, the state government now disputes the transfer and is moving the apex court.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What investigation did the high court transfer to the CBI?
The Punjab and Haryana High Court transferred the corruption and extortion case against Rajbir Singh Ghuman, OSD to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, to the CBI.

### 2. What deadline has been set for the CBI report?
The high court has ordered the central agency to submit its investigative report within two months.

### 3. What specific charges did the Enforcement Directorate raise?
The agency alleged that Ghuman operated an extortion racket demanding crores of rupees in exchange for state contracts and mining permissions.

### 4. What is the Punjab government's next step following the order?
The Punjab government plans to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court's decision.

### 5. What argument was put forward by Finance Minister Harpal Cheema?
Harpal Cheema argued that general consent for CBI inquiries was withdrawn during the previous Congress regime, requiring state approval for any local investigation.

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