The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR registered over corruption allegations involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajvir Ghuman and others, while directing that no coercive steps be taken in the matter.
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale issued notice on the Punjab government's plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order directing the CBI to register a case and investigate the allegations.
However, the apex court declined to stay the FIR and observed that the state government must cooperate with the investigation.
A bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale issued notices to the Centre, the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and complainant Nikhil Shroff. The matter concerns the Punjab government’s challenge to the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order directing a CBI investigation into the allegations.
The Supreme Court’s order provides temporary protection against arrest but does not bring the investigation to an end. The allegations remain under investigation, and the FIR continues to stand.
The CBI registered an FIR against Ghuman and others following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The agency subsequently conducted searches at multiple locations, including the Chief Minister’s camp office in Chandigarh.
The High Court had also directed the CBI to submit a status report on the investigation within two months.
The case has drawn attention because it involves allegations connected to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office. The state government challenged the High Court’s directions before the Supreme Court.
The development comes after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that Ghuman was prepared to join the CBI investigation if he received the summons.
Mann made the statement while responding to questions from mediapersons about why Ghuman had not appeared before the agency on Wednesday, despite being called to its Sector 30 office in Chandigarh.
The Chief Minister said the summons had not been served on Ghuman and maintained that his OSD was ready to appear before the agency once it was received.
Mann also alleged that the CBI action was part of the BJP’s political strategy ahead of elections in Punjab. He referred to actions taken by central agencies against opposition leaders in other states and claimed that similar developments had occurred before elections elsewhere.
The Chief Minister questioned the manner in which the proceedings had unfolded, even as the CBI action followed directions issued by the High Court. He also defended his government’s record on tackling corruption and rejected the allegations against his government and its leaders as baseless.
The Supreme Court’s interim order does not determine the merits of the corruption allegations. With the arrest stayed for now but the FIR left intact, the CBI investigation will continue, subject to further orders in the case.
