Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s officer on special duty, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, faced a second round of questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday in connection with an ongoing corruption probe involving alleged influence-peddling, tender manipulation, real estate irregularities and a cash-for-posting network.
Ghuman was questioned for about four and a half hours at the CBI office, from 2 pm to 6.30 pm, and told reporters afterwards that the agency had asked around 40 to 50 questions. He said several questions revisited matters raised during his earlier six-hour appearance before the agency last Friday.
The OSD rejected allegations linked to WhatsApp conversations recovered by the Enforcement Directorate from the phone of businessman Nitin Gohal. According to the ED, the seized phone contained 21 chats concerning transfers and postings of officials between September 2023 and March 2026. Ghuman said the messages were routine requests related to postings and transfers and did not contain anything incriminating.
Ghuman also questioned the account surrounding cash-filled bags allegedly thrown from Gohal’s ninth-floor apartment at Western Towers Society in Kharar in May. He said the incident had not been incorporated into the CBI investigation and questioned how Gohal’s family could have thrown the bags after being detained.
According to Ghuman’s account, the raid began at 7 am and Gohal’s family members were taken into custody by 7.10 am, while the bags were allegedly thrown at about 8.30 am. He referred to the ED’s panchnama, which stated that the bags were recovered from the road, and suggested that the sequence required investigation. The allegations and counterclaims have not been adjudicated.
Ghuman said he had been summoned to appear again on October 22 and would cooperate with the investigation. He also alleged that the probe was being used to intimidate certain individuals and said he had asked CBI officials to conduct a fair investigation. He denied that any corruption had taken place and described the allegations as an attempt to defame the Punjab government.
The questioning follows two earlier summonses that Ghuman was alleged to have skipped on October 7 and 9. The chief minister’s office had said no summons was received for the first appearance, while Ghuman responded legally to the second notice but did not appear in person.
On October 12, the Supreme Court granted Ghuman interim protection from coercive action and directed him to fully cooperate with the investigation. The following day, the ED registered a case in Jalandhar, adding an alleged money-laundering angle to the matter.
The CBI case was registered under directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The agency is required to submit its comprehensive investigation report by December 4. The next scheduled step in the case is Ghuman’s appearance before the CBI on October 22.
