Chandigarh: The CBI on Tuesday took over the investigation into alleged corruption involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and other associates and conducted searches at eight locations in Chandigarh, Mohali, Jalandhar and other cities.
During the searches, the CBI collected incriminating evidence, laptops, mobile phones and documents and sent digital devices to forensic lab for extracting data linked to the alleged bribery and impropriety, a CBI official said in a statement.
The probe agency said it registered the FIR in the matter following orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and receipt of report from the ED.
The CBI has booked six persons, including two public servants, middlemen and associates namely Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chief Minister, Punjab, Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder, R.S. Nagra and unknown public servant(s) and private person(s).
An official statement said that the CBI has registered the FIR to investigate the allegations of corruption against the OSD to the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) and his associates for influencing and manipulating postings of officers, including that of IAS and IPS officers, departmental proceedings and matters pertaining to policy formulation.
The probe will also cover decisions of the accused aimed at manipulating administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land use conversion matters, property disputes, revenue and land related issues in lieu of pecuniary benefits, said the statement.
It is also alleged that the accused public servants purportedly accessed and provided drafts of orders and policies to private persons prior to their issuance by the government.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday alleged that the CBI action was politically motivated.
The allegations came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the CBI to register a case and submit a status report within two months regarding allegations of corruption involving CM Mann’s OSD Ghuman and others.
The ED had earlier written three letters to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav alleging that Ghuman and his associates, Nitin Gohal and Bir Devinder, were involved in corruption-related activities.
The anti-money laundering agency alleged that they were interfering in administrative transfers, postings and government tenders, and had sought registration of an FIR.
After the Punjab Police did not register a case on the basis of the ED communications, advocate Nikhil Saraf filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the High Court seeking a CBI investigation.
In the petition, Saraf argued that the ED letters contained serious allegations involving persons linked to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office and sought a fair and independent investigation free from the influence of the Punjab Police and Punjab Vigilance Bureau.
(IANS)
