CBI Raids 8 Locations in Punjab CMO Corruption Probe; Mann Says His Office Was Also Searchedਪੰਜਾਬ ਸੀਐਮਓ ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟਾਚਾਰ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੀਬੀਆਈ ਦੇ 8 ਥਾਵਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਛਾਪੇ; ਮਾਨ ਦਾ ਦਾਅਵਾ — ਮੇਰੇ ਦਫ਼ਤਰ 'ਤੇ ਵੀ ਛਾਪਾ ਮਾਰਿਆ

Searches at eight locations after High Court directive

The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out searches on Tuesday at eight locations linked to Rajbir Ghuman, the officer on special duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and five others. The searches are part of the corruption probe the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to take over on Monday, in a case built around three Enforcement Directorate letters to the Punjab Police that were never acted upon.

The agency's case centres on allegations that Ghuman and his alleged associates ran an influence network out of the Chief Minister's Office — interfering in transfers and postings, land-use conversions, arms licences and government tenders, and leaking confidential documents, in return for cash, land and other benefits. All of the accused have denied wrongdoing, and the allegations are yet to be established through investigation or trial.

Mann says his camp office was also searched

Chief Minister Mann said the agency had also searched his camp office, and accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing investigative agencies ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. According to reports, Mann alleged the searches were conducted ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on the Punjab government's challenge to the High Court order, calling the action politically motivated. The CBI has not issued a detailed statement on what the searches recovered.

The case so far: from ED letters to the Supreme Court

The probe traces back to three Enforcement Directorate letters sent to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav in July and August, alleging that Ghuman and alleged intermediaries such as Nitin Gohal and Bir Devinder connected people seeking official favours with those close to the CMO. After Punjab Police failed to register an FIR, a public interest litigation by advocate Nikhil Saraf led the High Court on October 5 to hand the matter to the CBI and ask for a report within two months. Read our coverage of the High Court order and the Punjab government's move to the Supreme Court.

The Punjab government filed a special leave petition challenging the High Court's order; the Chief Justice of India declined an urgent same-day hearing on Tuesday and said the matter could be listed in the coming days. The agency has been asked to submit its investigation report to the High Court within two months.

What is the CBI searching for in the Punjab CMO case?

The CBI is examining material the Enforcement Directorate says it gathered — chats, documents and records — pointing to alleged corruption in official postings, tenders, land-use approvals and licences linked to the Chief Minister's Office. The probe follows the High Court's October 5 direction, and the agency must submit its report within two months.

What has Chief Minister Mann said about the raids?

Mann has rejected the allegations as baseless, said his camp office was also searched, and accused the BJP of misusing the CBI and ED to target opposition governments ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

What happens next in the case?

The CBI's searches are part of its court-ordered investigation, while the Punjab government's challenge to the High Court order is pending before the Supreme Court, which could take it up in the coming days.