Chandigarh: A recent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) operation at the Punjab Vigilance Bureau office in Mohali has triggered fresh political and bureaucratic debate after the investigation drew connections between a BJP youth leader and the office of a senior IPS officer currently in contention for the state’s top police post.
The controversy centres around the arrest of Raghav Goel, a BJP Yuva Morcha figure from Malout, who has been accused of acting as a middleman in an alleged bribery case involving ₹25 lakh. Goel, known in political circles for sharing photographs with prominent BJP leaders and publicising his attendance at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, was taken into custody by the CBI as part of the ongoing probe.
Sources indicated that Goel was believed to have links with Rajasthan BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Reports also suggest that his security cover had been withdrawn only a few days before the raid, though it remains unclear whether the protection was provided by central agencies or the Punjab Police.
The investigation took a significant turn after the CBI reportedly conducted searches at a luxury hotel in Chandigarh and later at the Punjab Vigilance Bureau office in Mohali, where cash amounting to ₹13 lakh was allegedly recovered.
The agency has registered a corruption case against the personal reader of senior IPS officer Sharad Satya Chauhan, accusing him of facilitating a deal aimed at settling a vigilance-related matter. Officials said the reader, who had been associated with Chauhan for nearly six years, has not yet been arrested.
Chauhan, who was recently appointed chief of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau after spending several years away from major postings, is also considered the senior-most officer among the names forwarded to the Union Public Service Commission for the selection of Punjab’s next Director General of Police.
Responding publicly for the first time since the matter surfaced, Chauhan denied any personal involvement in the alleged wrongdoing. He maintained that he had no connection with any improper activity carried out by his staff member and claimed his name was being unnecessarily linked to the case. The IPS officer also asserted that his professional record remained clean and confirmed that he continued to attend office normally.
When asked whether the timing of the raid had any relation to the pending DGP selection process, Chauhan declined to comment.
The case is currently being investigated under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Meanwhile, the CBI has continued searches at Goel’s residence in Malout as part of the inquiry.
Political observers have noted that recent investigations by central agencies such as the CBI and Enforcement Directorate have largely focused on leaders linked to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party or officers appointed under the Bhagwant Mann government. This case, however, has drawn attention because it involves an individual associated with the BJP.
Party insiders claimed that while Goel maintained connections with several BJP leaders in Bathinda and Malout, he did not hold any formal organisational position within the party structure.
