Punjab and Haryana High Court Orders CBI Probe Into Allegations Tied to CM Bhagwant Mann's Office
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday (October 5, 2026) directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into a set of corruption allegations linked to the office of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, holding that a fair and transparent investigation was required.
A Bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor passed the order on a public interest litigation. The court said that, on a cumulative assessment of the material placed on record in the petition, it was of the view that an independent inquiry was necessary.
The Bench also recorded its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Punjab Police had handled the matter so far. "We are also not impressed by the manner in which Punjab Police has acted so far in the matter, and therefore we deem it appropriate to entrust investigation of the present case to the Central Bureau of Investigation, which will register an FIR (First Information Report) in the matter and proceed with the investigation forthwith," the court said in its order.
The CBI has been asked to submit a report on the outcome of its investigation within two months. The court added that the State of Punjab and the Punjab Police would render all assistance to the agency in carrying out a fair investigation.
What the petition alleges
The petition concerns allegations raised by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against public servants and private individuals linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. These include corruption in transfers and postings, manipulation of policy, cash for tenders and other irregularities. The petitioner's case is that no investigation was held into these matters even though information had been shared with the Punjab Police.
The petitioner, advocate Nikhil Saraf, said the ED had sent communications to Punjab under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002, and that despite this and the other material he had placed before the court, no action was being taken.
The court's order is a direction to investigate. It is not a finding of guilt. An FIR marks the beginning of a probe, and the allegations remain unproven at this stage. The CBI's report to the court will be the next step in the process.
The developments drew sharp reactions from opposition parties.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, the Congress's Partap Singh Bajwa, demanded the immediate resignation of Mr. Mann, saying the High Court's decision had raised serious questions about the functioning of the State government and about the Chief Minister's own responsibility.
"The Punjab government proudly advertises Bhagwant Mann as an imandaar (honest) Chief Minister. But if the government is truly so honest, why did the High Court find it necessary to bring in an independent agency to investigate the matter?" Mr. Bajwa said.
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the court's order "has exposed the mask of Bhagwant Mann's honesty".
In New Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sambit Patra asked AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Mr. Mann to clarify their position on the allegations and on the scale of the purported financial irregularities.
The account of the court order and the political reactions did not include an immediate response from the Chief Minister's office or from the AAP.
What happens next
The CBI is expected to register a First Information Report and begin its investigation. The court has set a two-month timeline for a report on the outcome. Under Indian law, persons named in an FIR are entitled to the presumption of innocence until a competent court concludes otherwise, and the investigation will determine whether the allegations can be substantiated.
