Justice Nagu recuses from hearing Punjab appeal against HC order for CBI probe into corruption allegations

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using investigative agencies, like the CBI, to launch their election campaign in Punjab, according to a report on October 8, 2026. The CBI had conducted a raid on the camp office of Mann two days prior, following the issuance of a directive by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to probe corruption allegations linked to his office.

Mann stated that no amount of raids would yield any 'rupee' of corruption against his government. He added that the CBI's search at the Chief Minister's Camp Office meant that Punjab Assembly elections would be held on time, suggesting that the BJP was trying to create fear and tarnish the image of the elected government through central investigative agencies.

The BJP, on the other hand, criticized Mann's allegations, with Shwait Malik, a former Punjab BJP state president and Rajya Sabha member, stating that the people of Punjab now seek answers rather than political rhetoric. Malik questioned why the AAP government allowed the situation to escalate to a point where a CBI probe was ordered over corruption allegations.

He urged Mann to explain why the High Court had ordered the CBI investigation, emphasizing that merely linking the BJP's name with the CBI probe does not erase the allegations. According to Malik, the BJP did not order the CBI probe, so there was no need to give a political color to the High Court's order.

The CBI has registered a case involving six individuals, including two public servants, middlemen, and associates, who are being investigated for allegedly influencing and manipulating postings of officers, departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land use conversion, property disputes, and revenue and land-related issues in exchange for pecuniary benefits.