New Delhi: The Punjab government on Tuesday petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge an order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court that mandated a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into corruption allegations connected to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s office. Senior counsel Vikas Singh mentioned the special leave petition for urgent listing before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, arguing that the allegations were politically orchestrated ahead of upcoming assembly elections and constituted a direct breach of India’s federal framework. The Chief Justice indicated the top court would endeavour to hear the matter on Wednesday or Thursday.
The legal challenge follows a ruling delivered Monday by a high court division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor. The bench directed the CBI to register a criminal case and conduct a fair inquiry into allegations concerning Rajbir Singh Ghuman, an Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister, and submit a status report within two months. The directive emerged from a public interest litigation filed by advocate Nikhil Saraf, which highlighted inaction by state law enforcement despite communications from the Enforcement Directorate alleging an intermediary was brokering official favours, transfers, and arms licences in exchange for illicit considerations.
The high court had sharply criticised the Punjab Police for conducting prolonged preliminary inquiries instead of lodging a formal case, observing that the material forwarded by federal authorities prima facie pointed to cognizable offences in high public office. In response, the state administration moved the apex court in the early hours of Tuesday, seeking to stay the order and contending that the state machinery is being unfairly targeted through central agencies during an election period.
