- High Court ordered CBI probe into senior officials’ corruption allegations.
- Court noted ED’s material indicating high officials’ alleged corruption.
- Punjab government challenged CBI probe order in Supreme Court.
- Punjab revoked general consent for CBI investigations in 2020.
The Punjab government challenged in the Supreme Court a Punjab and Haryana High Court order directing a CBI probe into corruption allegations involving high-ranking state government officials.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said on Monday that the matter will be challenged in the Supreme Court in response to a question about the High Court order.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday ordered a CBI probe into allegations involving senior officials of the state government, including an officer on special duty (OSD) to the chief minister.
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High Court Directs CBI To Register FIR
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to register an FIR and submit a report within two months.
The court noted that material shared by the Enforcement Directorate prima facie indicated the involvement of high-ranking government officials in acts of corruption.
Cheema, while announcing the state government’s decision to approach the Supreme Court, also referred to the previous government’s decision to revoke general consent to the CBI for investigating cases in Punjab.
Punjab Had Revoked CBI’s General Consent In 2020
In November 2020, the then Congress government revoked its general consent to the CBI for probing cases in the state.
According to a November 8, 2020 notification issued by the Punjab government, the CBI would require prior consent from the state government to investigate any case in Punjab.
The high court’s order came on a public interest litigation filed by advocate Nikhil Saraf, who had sought an independent probe into the allegations raised by the ED with the Punjab Police.
Saraf approached the court after the ED wrote letters to the Punjab Director General of Police seeking registration of an FIR over alleged graft.
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What Are The Corruption Allegations?
The ED had sought an FIR against private person Nitin Gohal, who allegedly acted as an intermediary between interested persons and Rajbir Ghuman, an officer on special duty to the Punjab chief minister.
The petitioner alleged the involvement of senior Punjab government officials in various alleged scams, including “cash for transfers”, “cash for getting favourable policies” and “cash for tenders”.
The plea also alleged other “serious irregularities” and claimed that the Punjab Police did not conduct an investigation despite the ED sharing information in this regard.
The high court has now directed the CBI to register an FIR and submit its report within two months, while the Punjab government has decided to challenge the order before the Supreme Court.
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