Chandigarh, October 6, 2026: The Central Bureau of Investigation carried out searches at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s camp office in Sector 2, Chandigarh, on Tuesday as part of a court-directed investigation into allegations of corruption linked to individuals associated with the Chief Minister’s Office.
CBI teams also searched the residence of Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty to the Punjab Chief Minister, at Gharachon village in Sangrur district. Another search was reported at the residence of a close relative of Ghuman in Phase 11, Mohali.
The action came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the CBI to register a criminal case and conduct an independent investigation into allegations that had earlier been brought before Punjab Police. The High Court also directed the state government and police authorities to cooperate with the central agency and asked for a status report within two months.
The allegations under investigation relate to claims concerning money being sought in connection with government transfers and postings, favourable policy decisions, tenders and other official work. These claims remain allegations at this stage and have not been established against the Chief Minister or other individuals through a final judicial finding.
Rajbir Singh Ghuman is among the individuals whose alleged role has come under scrutiny during the proceedings. Investigators are expected to examine documents, electronic records and other material that could help determine whether any government decisions or administrative processes were improperly influenced.
The searches mark a significant escalation in a case that had already developed into a legal and political confrontation in Punjab. The High Court intervention followed concerns over the absence of police action on earlier information concerning the alleged activities.
The Punjab government, however, has challenged the High Court’s decision before the Supreme Court. A Special Leave Petition was filed on Tuesday, with the state questioning the direction for a CBI investigation and raising issues concerning the federal structure and the agency’s jurisdiction in Punjab.
The Supreme Court agreed to take up the Punjab government’s challenge, although an immediate hearing was not granted on Tuesday. The matter is expected to be considered shortly.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also reacted to the CBI action, alleging that central investigating agencies are being used to target his government ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. He accused the BJP of trying to damage his government’s image because of the political support enjoyed by his administration.
Those claims have not been established independently and form part of the political response to the investigation. The CBI action itself follows the High Court’s judicial direction rather than a finding of guilt against any person.
The search at the Chief Minister’s camp office is therefore an investigative step. A search does not by itself establish criminal wrongdoing, and responsibility for any alleged offence can only be determined after the CBI completes its investigation and the matter proceeds through the legal process.
Attention will now remain on what material, if any, was collected during Tuesday’s searches and whether the CBI makes further arrests, summons officials or expands the investigation to additional locations.
The Supreme Court proceedings will also be closely watched, as Punjab has asked the country’s highest court to intervene against the High Court order that set the CBI investigation in motion.
For now, the confirmed development is that the CBI has begun searches at multiple locations linked to the case, including the Punjab Chief Minister’s Chandigarh camp office and the residence of his OSD, while both the investigation and the state government’s legal challenge remain ongoing.
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