The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a second round of questioning on Monday involving Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in connection with an alleged corruption case involving the Chief Minister’s Office.
Ghuman arrived at the CBI office in Chandigarh at approximately 2 p.m. for further interrogation. He had previously appeared before investigators on October 16, when he was questioned for nearly six hours regarding allegations of irregularities in government transfers, postings and the allocation of public contracts.
Following his initial questioning, Ghuman told reporters that CBI officials had asked him approximately 40 questions, which he claimed to have answered comprehensively. He described the proceedings as professional and cordial, adding that his legal representatives were not permitted to remain inside the interrogation room under the agency’s established procedures.
The investigation follows an October 5 order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court directing the CBI to examine the corruption allegations and submit its findings within two months. The court also instructed Punjab Police to extend full cooperation to the central investigating agency.
The CBI subsequently registered a First Information Report (FIR) against approximately six individuals, including Ghuman, over suspected misconduct involving administrative transfers, government appointments and the awarding of tenders.
The Punjab government challenged the High Court’s decision before the Supreme Court on October 6 through a Special Leave Petition, seeking relief from the order transferring the investigation to the CBI.
While hearing the matter, the Supreme Court directed the investigating agency not to take coercive action against Ghuman. However, it declined to suspend the FIR or halt the investigation, requiring him to continue cooperating with investigators.
The latest questioning forms part of the CBI’s ongoing efforts to examine the allegations and determine whether any wrongdoing occurred in administrative decisions connected to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office.
