High Court Refers ED’s Corruption Allegations to the CBI
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has remanded a case that implicates officials associated with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The referral follows a series of letters dispatched by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, urging decisive action.
Petition background
Advocate Nikhil Saraf lodged a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after the state police allegedly ignored three separate notices from the ED. The correspondence sought an FIR against the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, and several others accused of manipulating government transfers, postings, tenders and related administrative decisions.
CBI instructed to lodge FIR and file report
A two‑judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor ordered the CBI to register a criminal case and commence a comprehensive investigation. The agency must furnish a detailed status report to the court within two months, and the bench instructed the Punjab government and police to extend full cooperation.
PIL sparked by police inaction
The petition contends that the Punjab police’s refusal to act on the ED’s letters left the PIL as the sole avenue for an independent inquiry. The ED’s concerns emerged amid a money‑laundering probe that highlighted possible involvement of private intermediaries and individuals close to the Chief Minister’s office in influencing official actions.
Political fallout
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has dismissed the accusations as politically motivated, alleging that central agencies are being weaponised against the state government. Chief Minister Mann has similarly branded the claims as unfounded. With the High Court now tasking the CBI, the investigation will proceed at the central level, and the stipulated two‑month deadline sets a clear timetable for the next phase.
