New Delhi: The Supreme Court 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.
The Punjab government has challenged the High Court’s October 5 order directing the CBI to take over the investigation into allegations of corruption arising from three letters written by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
The High Court had directed the CBI to register a case and submit a status report within two months, besides asking the Punjab government and police to extend full cooperation to the Central investigating agency.
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The ED had claimed that Ghuman and his associates, Nitin Gohal and Bir Devinder, were interfering in administrative transfers and postings as well as government tenders, and had called for the registration of an FIR.
After the Punjab Police did not register an FIR on the basis of the ED’s communications, advocate Nikhil Saraf approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an independent probe by the CBI.
The petition alleged that the communications contained serious allegations concerning persons linked to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office and sought a fair investigation free from the influence of the Punjab Police and Punjab Vigilance.
The CBI has already registered an FIR in the matter and initiated an investigation pursuant to the High Court’s directions
The Central agency also conducted searches at eight locations across Chandigarh and Punjab, including the Chief Minister’s camp office in Chandigarh and premises linked to Ghuman in Sangrur and Mohali
Ghuman and other associates were subsequently summoned to appear before the CBI’s Chandigarh office in connection with the probe.
The matter was earlier listed before a Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu. October 9, Justice Nagu recused himself from hearing the Punjab government’s plea, following which the matter was placed before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant for the constitution of a fresh Bench.IANS