The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday, 3 September urged Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to recommend a time-bound, court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged corruption being operated from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) in Chandigarh. The allegations centre on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajbir Ghuman and the CM's wife Gurpreet Kaur Mann, who is accused of accepting a bribe of ₹5 crore to 'settle' two rape and abduction cases.

Key Allegations Presented to the Governor

A high-level SAD delegation led by party President Sukhbir Badal met the Governor and submitted a formal representation detailing the two cases. The delegation included Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Bikram Singh Majithia, Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, and Sikandar Singh Maluka.

Badal told reporters after the meeting that 'those closest to the Chief Minister have opened a single-window service for gangsters and rapists and virtually every illegal activity, including change of land use (CLU), and postings and transfers for a fee.' The party called for the immediate resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against OSD Ghuman and Gurpreet Kaur Mann.

The Enforcement Directorate's Role

The delegation apprised the Governor that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had placed an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 1 September, reportedly highlighting how the CMO had been converted into a marketplace for transfers and postings of officers, government tenders, arms licences, and land approvals.

According to the delegation, the Director General of Police (DGP) has refused to register an FIR despite a formal reference by the ED. The state's finance minister, they noted, publicly dismissed the ED's reference as a document 'weaponised' by the Opposition.

Details of the Two Rape and Abduction Cases

In the first case, Badal alleged that five women victims had personally met the Chief Minister seeking justice, but his wife subsequently coordinated with the accused to secure a clean chit in exchange for ₹5 crore. He stated that audio recordings and CCTV footage were already in the public domain.

In both rape cases — registered in Amritsar and Mohali — cancellation reports were reportedly filed and the accused was discharged within two months of the FIRs being registered. In the second case, the name of the Chief Minister's wife was allegedly invoked on tape as the basis for a ₹5 crore demand to bury the FIRs. The accused, identified as media influencer-cum-businessman Guri Chahal, had reportedly fled to the United States after being released from jail.

What the SAD Has Demanded

The delegation urged the Governor to exercise powers under Article 167 of the Constitution to call for a report from the Chief Secretary and the DGP explaining why no FIR had been registered on the ED's reference. It also sought a CBI probe into the circumstances under which the two FIRs were cancelled and Guri Chahal was discharged.

The representation called for a court-monitored, time-bound CBI investigation covering all corruption disclosed in the ED's reference — including the role of every public servant, intermediary, developer, beneficiary, and the money trail — as well as the collection of money allegedly in the name of the Chief Minister's wife.

Protests Planned Across Punjab

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and the Istri Akali Dal are scheduled to 'gherao' the Chief Minister's residence on 5 September, with follow-up protests planned across all constituencies. Sukhbir Badal stated: 'We will continue to protest against this corrupt government until justice is delivered.'

With the ED's affidavit already before the High Court and the SAD escalating pressure through the Governor's office, the political and legal trajectory of these allegations is set to intensify in the days ahead.