The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has forwarded investigative material under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, explicitly stating that the material points to the commission of cognisable offences. With the Punjab Police leaving the ED reference unacted upon for 13 days, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 20 August escalated its demand, calling for an independent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the entire matter.

What the ED Reference Contains

According to former Union Minister and former state BJP chief Vijay Sampla, the ED reference — drawn from material gathered during an ongoing investigation — contains serious allegations spanning criminal conspiracy, corruption, unauthorised leakage of confidential government information, interference in transfers and postings, manipulation of government policies and tenders, and illegal gratification.

Sampla said the material covers a wide range of domains: from transfers and postings to government tenders, land matters, licences, confidential information, and alleged financial benefits. The breadth of the alleged network, he argued, makes the police's inaction all the more difficult to explain.

The CMO Connection That Raises Questions

The matter has taken on heightened political significance because the ED's investigative material reportedly references Rajbir Ghuman, who serves as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Punjab Chief Minister's Office (CMO), and his alleged coordination with private individual Nitin Gohal in matters concerning government functioning.

'The material assumes greater significance because of references to Rajbir Ghuman, who is associated with the Punjab Chief Minister's Office as the Officer on Special Duty, and to his alleged coordination with private individual Nitin Gohal in matters concerning government functioning,' Sampla said, addressing the media in Chandigarh.

Sampla pointedly questioned how such an extensive alleged network could have operated around a person directly connected to the Chief Minister's Office without the knowledge of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds charge as the state's Home Minister.

BJP's Three-Point Demand

The BJP has laid out a specific set of demands: registration of the First Information Report (FIR) sought by the ED; preservation of all digital, documentary, and financial evidence; and a time-bound CBI investigation into the roles of Gohal, Ghuman, and all other individuals named in the ED material.

'Punjab needs an impartial investigation, not explanations; an FIR, not political excuses; and the truth, whatever that truth may be,' Sampla said.

The Challenge for Bhagwant Mann

Sampla directly challenged Chief Minister Mann to make his position clear, noting that the Punjab Police functions under the state government — the same government that heads the CMO where the named OSD works. 'If Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann genuinely had no knowledge of these alleged activities and has nothing to hide, he should himself demand a CBI investigation,' Sampla said.

This comes amid broader scrutiny of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government's record on law enforcement and anti-corruption pledges. The Chief Minister's office had not issued a response to the allegations as of the time of reporting. With the ED reference now in the public domain, pressure on the Punjab Police and the state government to act is likely to intensify.