Breaking: Rajbir Ghuman moves HC, seeks stay on CBI probe, calls action illegal
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, October 8, 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajbir Singh Ghuman has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a stay on the CBI probe against him and challenging the legality of the investigation.
It has been learnt that Mr Ghuman has sought the court’s intervention to stop further proceedings in the CBI case, contending that the probe against him is illegal. He has also raised legal objections in view of his status as a public servant.
Grounds cited by Rajbir Singh
The petitioner has approached the High Court seeking quashing of the CBI proceedings, or alternatively a direction to halt further proceedings until the mandatory prior approval under Section 17A is obtained, on the following grounds:
- The petitioner contends that the Section 17A approval is a mandatory statutory requirement and that the CBI cannot proceed against him without such prior approval.
- It is alleged that the CBI has proceeded without the requisite statutory authority, thereby violating the safeguards provided under Section 17A.
- The petitioner specifically points out that his family home at Gharachon was searched from 5:50 PM on October 6 to 4:00 AM on October 7, 2026, allegedly in the absence of the family and in the presence of only one independent witness.
- According to the petition, such actions amount to an intrusion into the petitioner’s personal liberty and privacy protected under Article 21 of the Constitution.
- The petitioner argues that allowing the proceedings to continue without obtaining the mandatory approval would defeat the very purpose of Section 17A and render the statutory protection meaningless.
- On these grounds, the petitioner has sought that the investigation/proceedings be quashed or halted until the required Section 17A sanction/approval is received. In the alternative, he has sought a direction that no further proceedings against him should take place without prior approval under Section 17A.
The petition comes days after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the CBI to register a case and investigate allegations of corruption and influence-peddling involving Ghuman and others linked to the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office.
The CBI subsequently registered a 251-page FIR against Ghuman and five others and conducted searches at eight locations, including the Punjab Chief Minister’s camp office in Chandigarh.