Interim Relief Does Not Halt Probe, Says Court; Punjab Government Directed to Cooperate Fully with Investigation

New Delhi, October 12 (HS): The Supreme Court on Monday granted major relief to Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and other individuals associated with the state government, by restraining the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from taking any coercive or punitive action against them. A Bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice P.B. Varale issued a notice to the CBI, seeking its response to an appeal filed by the Punjab government.

During the hearing, the court made it clear that the interim relief did not amount to a stay on the investigation. It directed the Punjab government and the other concerned parties to extend full cooperation to the CBI probe.

The Punjab government has challenged before the Supreme Court an October 5 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the CBI to investigate an alleged corruption case involving transfers and postings of government officials and tender-related irregularities linked to the Chief Minister’s Office. The High Court had ordered the investigation on the basis of inputs provided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and directed the investigating agency to submit a status report within two months.

Following the High Court’s order, the CBI has already registered a First Information Report (FIR) in the matter and conducted raids at several locations in Punjab and Chandigarh.

The controversy originated from confidential information and WhatsApp chats shared by the ED with the Punjab Police. The material reportedly contains serious allegations that individuals associated with the Chief Minister’s Office accepted bribes in exchange for influencing the transfers and postings of government officials, facilitating tenders and formulating favourable government policies.

The Punjab government has argued that the High Court erred in directing the registration of an FIR without obtaining the prior government approval mandated under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The Supreme Court has, for now, issued a notice to the CBI, seeking its response to the state government’s appeal.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar