CHANDIGARH: Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, appeared on Monday before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Chandigarh for a second round of questioning in an alleged corruption case involving cash for transfers, favourable policies, tenders and other illegal activities.
Ghuman’s arrival was marked by a disagreement at the agency’s office after his vehicle was stopped at the gate and he was asked to park outside and enter on foot. Ghuman was accompanied by his lawyer, GPS Ghuman, who protested against being denied permission to accompany his client inside the CBI office.
The development added a fresh point of friction as the agency questioned the Chief Minister’s aide for the second time.
Citing Supreme Court guidelines on protecting the rights of lawyers and litigants appearing before investigating agencies, the lawyer said they would take up the matter with the CBI court.
The CBI is investigating allegations of corruption and influence-peddling involving government postings, tenders and administrative decisions. The allegations remain under investigation.
Ghuman reached the CBI’s regional office at around 2.15 pm. He had earlier been questioned for nearly six hours on October 16.
The CBI registered the case following an October 5 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing a probe into allegations raised by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in three letters to the Punjab DGP.
Earlier, the central agency had issued him three notices asking him to appear before the investigating agency. Notices were also pasted on the gate of his house in his native village of Gharachon in Sangrur district.
A 251-page FIR was registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation on a complaint by the Enforcement Directorate and refers to material shared by the ED with the Punjab Police chief.
On October 12, the Supreme Court declined to stay the FIR but directed that no coercive action be taken against the accused at that stage while issuing notice on the Punjab Government’s plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order. The apex court also directed the state to cooperate with the investigation.
The CBI had registered the case under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 7, 7A, 8 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, following an October 5 order of the High Court directing a probe into allegations of corruption and influence-peddling involving government functionaries.
The six named accused are Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder and Rajdeep Singh Nagra, a rice sheller owner, besides unidentified public servants and private persons.
According to the FIR, the allegations concern the purported exchange of money for government postings, including those of IAS and IPS officers, departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing, change of land use, property disputes and revenue-related matters.
The alleged activities are stated to relate to the 2023–2026 period.