The Punjab government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a criminal case and probe allegations of corruption linked to the office of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The State filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the High Court order at around 1:42 am on Tuesday.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor had on Monday directed the CBI to submit a report on its probe within two months.
The matter arose from allegations of corruption against Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Rajbir Singh Ghuman. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier asked the Punjab Police to register an FIR into the allegations.
According to the ED, an individual named Nitin Gohal allegedly acted as an intermediary between persons seeking favours from the government and Ghuman. The allegations concern transfers, access to confidential government documents, facilitation of arms licences and other government-related benefits.
After the Punjab Police failed to register an FIR, advocate Nikhil Saraf approached the High Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), challenging the alleged inaction.
In its judgment, the High Court held that the information shared by the ED prima facie disclosed cognizable offences involving a high public office, with the potential to affect public interest.
The Court noted that the State had conducted only a “preliminary inquiry” after receiving the ED’s information on August 3. It also observed that while notices had been issued to several persons, Ghuman had not been called to participate in the inquiry.
The High Court further criticised the Punjab Police for delaying the matter on the ground that it was awaiting legible copies of documents supplied by the ED.
The Court noted that the ED’s evidence prima facie linked high-ranking officials to corruption, requiring an immediate FIR and probe, which the Punjab Police failed to initiate.
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