Supreme Court Defers Punjab Govt Plea Against CBI Probe Into CM Mann’s OSD Till Friday

October 8, 2026

New Delhi: The Punjab government on Thursday failed to secure immediate relief from the Supreme Court against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe allegations of corruption involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajvir Ghuman and others.

A Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu deferred the hearing on the Punjab government’s plea till Friday. Justice Datta said the case file had reached the Bench late, while Justice Nagu had not yet had an opportunity to examine the papers.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the Punjab government, requested that the matter be taken up on Friday and sought protection against any precipitative action in the meantime.

However, the Bench questioned how it could pass an interim order without first examining the case file.

“When we haven’t read the file, how can we?” the Bench remarked.

The matter was accordingly listed for Friday. The Punjab government, meanwhile, did not receive any immediate interim protection against the High Court’s directions.

CBI Already Registered FIR in Case

The development comes after the CBI registered an FIR in the case following the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s October 5 order. The central agency has also started its investigation.

On Tuesday, the CBI conducted coordinated searches at eight locations across Chandigarh and Punjab, including the Chief Minister’s camp office in Sector 2, Chandigarh, and premises linked to Ghuman in Sangrur and Mohali.

Ghuman and other associates were subsequently summoned by the CBI to appear before its Chandigarh office in connection with the investigation.

The CBI has registered the case against Ghuman and others over allegations involving interference in official postings, administrative matters and government tenders, among other issues. The allegations are part of the ongoing investigation.

Punjab Govt Challenges High Court CBI Order

The Punjab government has challenged the High Court’s October 5 order before the Supreme Court.

The High Court had directed the CBI to register a case and submit a status report within two months. It also directed the Punjab government and police to extend full cooperation to the central investigating agency.

The case arose from three letters written by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav.

The ED had alleged that Mann’s OSD Rajvir Ghuman and his associates Nitin Gohal and Bir Devinder were involved in corruption and were interfering in administrative transfers and postings as well as government tenders.

The ED had called for registration of an FIR based on the allegations.

PIL Led to CBI Investigation

After the Punjab Police did not register a case based on the ED communications, advocate Nikhil Saraf filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a CBI probe.

The petition alleged that the ED communications contained serious allegations concerning persons linked to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office. It sought a “fair and independent investigation” free from the influence of the Punjab Police and Punjab Vigilance.

While ordering the CBI probe, the High Court directed the agency to submit its status report within two months.

The Supreme Court will now hear the Punjab government’s challenge on Friday.