Chandigarh: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its probe into the corruption case against Rajbir Ghuman, OSD to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, by focusing its scrutiny on original notesheets, draft files related to 15 key state departments, and transfer and posting records of 22 officers.A key focus of the investigation involves political appointments made within the chief minister’s office, with CBI’s plan to specifically examine appointment records for Ghuman and another accused, Jitin Kumar Gohal alias Raja, who is a production manager in the CMO.The central agency also wants to scrutinise official transfer and posting documents for a list of 22 officers. The named officials include IAS officers, PCS officers, along with police officers, jail authorities, forest officials, and executive officers of civic bodies.The documents sought by CBI include files, including notesheets and drafts, pertaining to transfer policies for the years 2023-24 and 2024-25, a group housing project on Airport Road in Zirakpur, requests for arms licences, housing companies, Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) clearance to a group of colleges, state policies for Foodgrains Labour & Cartage 2024 by the department of food and civil supplies, and the recruitment of PPSC assistant town planners by the local govt department for 2024.To gather evidence, CBI sent a communication to the chief secretary on Oct 12, triggering the administrative action. In total, 15 govt departments were asked to furnish records. These include the departments of home affairs, revenue & rehabilitation, animal husbandry & dairy development, housing & urban development, jails, food, civil supplies & consumer affairs, health & family welfare, power, general administration, science, technology & environment, forests & wildlife, cooperation, rural development & panchayats, local govt, and the personnel department.Punjab govt on Oct 14 issued an “urgent directive” through its personnel department instructing all departments concerned to collect and submit the requested documents, while appointing special secretary (personnel) Gautam Jain as the nodal officer to coordinate with CBI.When contacted, Punjab govt officials did not confirm how many of the files CBI sought had already been sent to its Sector 30 office in Chandigarh. The investigation stems from a CBI case registered under directives of the Punjab and Haryana high court. The central agency has to meet a court-mandated deadline to file its comprehensive investigation report by Dec 4, 2026. “The matter may kindly be treated as most urgent... Therefore, the aforesaid files and details are urgently required, for the purpose of investigation,” said the CBI’s letter to the chief secretary.
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