ED Registers Money Laundering Case Against Punjab CM’s OSD in IAS-IPS Posting Row

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against Rajbir Ghuman, officer on special duty to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and his alleged associates, escalating an investigation into alleged corruption involving the postings of IAS and IPS officers.

The ED initiated the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR alleging that public servants and private individuals manipulated official postings and influenced government decisions in exchange for financial benefits.

The case follows a direction from the Punjab and Haryana High Court last week ordering the CBI to register an FIR and investigate the allegations. On Monday, the Supreme Court directed the CBI not to take coercive action against the accused but declined to stay the FIR or halt the investigation.

According to the CBI, the alleged activities extended beyond officer postings to departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing, land-use conversions, property disputes and revenue-related matters. The agency has also alleged that public servants accessed and shared drafts of government orders and policies with private individuals before their official issuance.

Six people have been named in the CBI case: Ghuman, Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder and R S Nagra. The FIR also refers to unidentified public servants and private individuals. The allegations have not been established in court.

The ED may conduct further searches, summon the accused and examine assets for possible provisional attachment as it investigates the alleged financial trail.

The case also follows an earlier ED investigation linked to Suntec City, a real estate project. In May, the agency searched premises associated with Ghuman's alleged associates in connection with a money laundering case based on a Punjab Police FIR registered in November 2022 against the project's promoters.

The investigation now places alleged links between official postings, administrative influence and financial benefits under scrutiny. Its outcome will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators and the courts' findings.