Overview
- The CBI registered an FIR on October 5 against Rajbir Singh Ghuman and five others after a Punjab and Haryana High Court order and has since expanded the investigation to seek original files from roughly 15 state departments.
- The agency has asked for records covering transfers and postings of about 22 officers, recruitments, licensing, project clearances and Ghuman’s own appointment as officer on special duty.
- Ghuman appeared at the CBI’s Chandigarh office and was questioned for nearly six hours before being summoned again, while other named suspects have been summoned and searches were carried out earlier.
- The Enforcement Directorate has opened a parallel money‑laundering case under the PMLA based on the CBI/ED material, which reportedly includes WhatsApp chats, digital records and seized cash.
- The CBI must report progress to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by December 4, a deadline that sets a near‑term milestone for whether investigators can link the alleged communications and financial trails to concrete administrative decisions.