Punjab HC orders CBI probe into CM's office corruption, BJP demands resignation
Synopsis
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stripped the AAP government of a key shield — by handing the corruption probe into the Chief Minister's own office to the CBI. With the ED's three unanswered letters to the DGP now on record, the court's two-month deadline and demand for full police cooperation leave the Punjab government with very little room to manoeuvre.
Key Takeaways
The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a CBI probe into corruption allegations against CM's OSD Rajvir Ghuman and the Chief Minister's Office .
The CBI has been directed to register a case and submit a status report within two months .
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had written to the Punjab DGP three times seeking an FIR before the matter reached the High Court via a PIL.
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon demanded the Chief Minister's immediate resignation, calling the court order proof of the government's failed 'zero-tolerance' pledge.
Dhillon cited multiple sitting and former AAP legislators and ministers who have faced corruption or money-laundering allegations, including former ministers Vijay Singla , Fauja Singh Sarari , and Sanjeev Arora .
The court also directed the Punjab government and police to extend full cooperation to the CBI investigation.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register a case and submit a status report within two months into corruption allegations involving Punjab Chief Minister's OSD Rajvir Ghuman and the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The development has triggered sharp political reactions, with Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon on Monday, 5 October demanding the Chief Minister's immediate resignation.
High Court's Key Directives
The court transferred the investigation to the CBI after the matter was brought before it through a public interest litigation (PIL). The High Court has also directed the Punjab government and the Punjab Police to extend full cooperation to the CBI to ensure the probe is completed within the court-mandated deadline. The case reportedly surfaced after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) wrote to the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) on three separate occasions seeking registration of an FIR — requests that went unheeded, according to Dhillon.
What the BJP Said
Addressing reporters in Chandigarh, Dhillon argued that the court's intervention exposed the hollowness of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's claim to be a 'zero-tolerance' administration on corruption. “Does this not mean that there is something fishy?” he asked, questioning why the Chief Minister would avoid an investigation into his own office despite repeated ED communications.
Dhillon also alleged a pattern of corruption across the AAP dispensation, pointing to former ministers Vijay Singla, Fauja Singh Sarari, and Sanjeev Arora, as well as MLAs Amit Rattan Kotfatta and Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra, all of whom have reportedly faced allegations or investigations related to corruption and money laundering. He further alleged that former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar is currently in jail in connection with a suicide case involving a government official.
Boards Versus Reality, BJP Argues
The state BJP chief said that billboards proclaiming an ‘honest Chief Minister’ have been erected across Punjab, calling them misleading in light of the court's findings. He demanded that the government and Punjab Police immediately hand over all necessary records to the CBI to facilitate a timely investigation within the two-month window set by the court.
Law and Order Concerns
Dhillon also raised broader concerns about the law and order situation in Punjab, stating that neither ordinary citizens nor police personnel feel safe in the state. He cited the killing of social media influencer Mad Sandhu in Amritsar as a recent example, urging the government to move beyond statements and take tangible action on the ground.
What Comes Next
With the CBI now mandated to file a status report within two months, the probe into the CMO's alleged involvement in corruption is set to deepen. The High Court's direction for full governmental cooperation means the Punjab administration has little room to delay or obstruct. Whether the investigation leads to formal charges — and its political fallout for the AAP government ahead of future electoral cycles — will be closely watched.
Point of View
In effect, concluded that the state's own law enforcement cannot be trusted to investigate its political masters. The ED's three unanswered letters to the DGP are the most damaging detail: they suggest not incompetence but active inaction. For the AAP government, which built its entire brand on anti-corruption politics, having the CM's own office under CBI scrutiny is a narrative catastrophe. The BJP's demand for resignation may be political theatre, but the underlying legal and reputational damage is real and will compound as the CBI's two-month clock ticks.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a CBI probe into the Punjab CMO?
The High Court ordered the CBI probe after a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighted corruption allegations against Punjab CM's OSD Rajvir Ghuman and the Chief Minister's Office. The court's decision followed the Enforcement Directorate's alleged failure to secure an FIR from the Punjab Police despite writing to the state DGP three times.
What exactly has the High Court directed in this case?
The court has directed the CBI to register a case and submit a status report within two months. It has also instructed the Punjab government and Punjab Police to extend full cooperation to the CBI during the investigation.
Why is the BJP demanding the Punjab Chief Minister's resignation?
Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon argues that the High Court's intervention exposes the AAP government's 'zero-tolerance for corruption' claim as hollow. He contends that the government lost the moral right to remain in power by allegedly resisting ED requests to file an FIR against its own office.
Which other AAP leaders have faced corruption allegations, according to the BJP?
Dhillon cited former ministers Vijay Singla, Fauja Singh Sarari, and Sanjeev Arora, as well as MLAs Amit Rattan Kotfatta and Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra, as AAP figures who have faced corruption or money-laundering allegations. He also alleged that former minister Laljit Singh Bhullar is currently in jail in a case linked to a government official's suicide.
What is the significance of the ED writing to the Punjab DGP three times?
The ED's three letters requesting registration of an FIR, all allegedly ignored by the Punjab Police, formed a key part of the case that reached the High Court via PIL. It is significant because it suggests that the state's law enforcement did not act on a central agency's repeated requests to probe the CM's own office, prompting judicial intervention.
