Overview
- CBI teams conducted searches on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Chandigarh camp office and at locations linked to his OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and registered or began a criminal probe.
- A Punjab and Haryana High Court bench ordered the CBI on October 5 to register a case and submit a status report within two months after finding the Enforcement Directorate’s material prima facie indicated cognisable offences and criticising the Punjab Police’s preliminary inquiry.
- The State of Punjab filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court on October 6 challenging the High Court’s direction and seeking urgent listing on grounds that the order raises federalism and election‑timing concerns.
- The ED’s letters to the Punjab DGP allege a network of intermediaries, notably Nitin Gohal, who arranged favours such as transfers, access to confidential files and help obtaining arms licences, and the material was developed during a money‑laundering probe tied to CLU and GMADA transactions.
- Political reactions were immediate: Chief Minister Mann denied wrongdoing and accused the BJP of misusing central agencies, opposition leaders demanded resignations, and the case now turns on what the CBI finds and whether the Supreme Court restricts the probe.