Supreme Court Defers Stay on CBI Punjab Corruption Probe

The Supreme Court of India deferred a hearing on Thursday regarding a plea by the Punjab government to block a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) corruption probe. The court declined to grant immediate interim protection, rescheduling the matter for Friday.

The legal battle began after the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to investigate allegations of cash-for-transfers and the manipulation of government policies. The probe specifically targets Rajvir Ghuman, the Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and associates Nitin Gohal and Bir Devinder. The High Court's order followed a public interest litigation filed after the Enforcement Directorate alleged that Ghuman and others interfered in administrative postings and government tenders.

Representing the state government, senior advocate Vikas Singh argued that the cases were being trumped up during election time and violated the federal structure. Despite these arguments, the CBI has already registered an FIR and conducted searches at eight locations, including the Chief Minister's camp office in Chandigarh and premises in Sangrur and Mohali.