High Court Transfers ED’s Corruption Complaint to CBI
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has referred a case that alleges misuse of power by officials connected to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The referral follows a chain of letters dispatched by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, urging immediate action.
Petition’s genesis
Advocate Nikhil Saraf moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) after the state police allegedly ignored three separate communications from the ED. The letters demanded that an FIR be lodged against the chief minister’s Officer on Special Duty, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, and several other individuals accused of interfering with government transfers, postings, tenders and related administrative matters.
CBI mandated to file 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 launch a comprehensive investigation. The agency must furnish the court with a status report within two months, while the bench instructed the Punjab government and its police force to extend full cooperation.
Why the PIL became necessary
The petition contends that the Punjab police’s refusal to act on the ED’s letters left the PIL as the sole mechanism to secure an independent inquiry. The ED’s concerns arose amid a broader money‑laundering probe, which flagged possible involvement of private intermediaries and individuals close to the chief minister’s office in steering official decisions.
Potential political fallout
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, accusing central agencies of being weaponised against the state government. Chief Minister Mann has likewise branded the claims as unfounded. With the High Court now assigning the matter to the CBI, the investigation will move to the central level, and the compulsory two‑month deadline sets a clear timetable for the next stage of proceedings.
