Supreme Court agrees to hear Punjab government’s plea challenging HC’s order for CBI probe into corruption allegations

The Punjab government has sought an urgent stay of the Supreme Court's order directing the CBI to investigate allegations of a bribery syndicate influencing transfers, postings, tenders and policy decisions through an OSD (Official Secretary) in the Chief Minister's office. The order was made on Monday by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had directed the CBI to register an FIR based on the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) allegations.

The Punjab government argued that the HC's decision was unconstitutional and breached the federal scheme of governance. The ED had provided a 150-page communication to the Punjab DGP under the Punjab Investigative Agencies Act, alleging that Nihal Gohal, whose premises were searched in May, had influenced transfers and postings.

The state government claimed that the HC erred by sending the CBI into a state which had withdrawn consent to the agency to carry out an investigation in the state's jurisdiction, without citing any exceptional circumstances. The HC had ordered the CBI probe due to what it held to be inaction in registering an FIR on the material evidence sent by the ED.