NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: A set of WhatsApp chats purportedly mentioning alleged monetary transactions and details of postings of senior Punjab govt officials, including multiple DSPs, has been included in CBI's dossier on CM Bhagwant Mann's OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman as the agency prepares to interrogate him and five others named in the "cash-for-transfers" FIR.The buzz in Chandigarh Wednesday was that Ghuman had been asked to appear before CBI at 2.30pm, leading a media contingent to assemble outside the agency's Sector 30 office.Amid speculation about whether Mann's OSD had defied the summons, a CMO official said no such notice was served on him. Ghuman is under the scanner for alleged corruption through intermediaries, including co-accused Nitin Gohal, Jitin, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder and RS Nagra. According to an ED investigation prior to Punjab and Haryana high court calling in CBI, Gohal coordinated the bribery network.CBI's FIR mentions ED's "post-seizure questioning" of Gohal in May. He has been accused of receiving and forwarding drafts of orders and policies to "private individuals" prior to govt issuing an official release. One of these policies pertains to "foodgrain labour and cartage", which was allegedly shared by Gohal with co-accused Nagra, who has a foodgrain supply business.
Nagra is accused of asking for favourable changes in the policy through Gohal, per the FIR.CBI has also obtained other purportedly incriminating documents about real estate projects, cooperative housing and irregularities in the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority, suggesting interference by "multiple private individuals" in govt functioning. CBI's probe focuses on allegations of corruption by influencing transfers, including those of IAS and IPS officers, matters pertaining to policy formulation, tender conditions, revenue and land-related issues in lieu of pecuniary benefits.
Raj Shekhar Jha is a journalist for the Times of India with over a decade of experience in reporting on national security, terrorism, crime and prisons.