CBI Search Punjab: Dhol And Bhangra Greet Team At Bhagwant Mann Aide’s House
SANGRUR: A Central Bureau of Investigation search at the home of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Officer on Special Duty, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, took an unusual turn in Gharachon village on Tuesday evening when some residents and political workers welcomed the CBI team with flowers, dhol beats and bhangra. The CBI Search Punjab operation is part of a corruption investigation involving Ghuman and five others.
CBI Search Punjab Triggers Political Display
The CBI searched Ghuman’s residence in Gharachon as part of a wider operation covering eight locations across Punjab and Chandigarh. Searches were also carried out at Mann’s camp office in Chandigarh and premises linked to people named in the investigation.
According to NDTV, representatives associated with Waris Punjab De and the Akali Dal’s Punar Surjeet group were among those who gathered near Ghuman’s residence. Videos showed people beating dhols, performing bhangra and showering flower petals on vehicles leaving the area.
The reception quickly became a political talking point. It also led to an unusual contrast between the seriousness of the investigation and the celebratory scenes outside the residence.
Bhagwant Mann Aide Named In Corruption Case
The CBI registered a case against Ghuman and five others following a Punjab and Haryana High Court direction to investigate allegations of corruption linked to people associated with the Chief Minister’s office.
The allegations concern claims of influence over government postings, transfers, tenders, land-related approvals and other official decisions. The allegations remain subject to investigation and do not establish criminal guilt.
The agency said it conducted coordinated searches at eight locations and seized electronic devices and documents for examination. The investigation is expected to determine whether the material supports the allegations made against the accused.
The development has intensified scrutiny of the Bhagwant Mann Aide at the centre of the case and the wider functioning of the Chief Minister’s office.
AAP Protest And Opposition Attack
The scenes in Gharachon have added another political dimension to the case. Opposition leaders have used the CBI action to attack the Aam Aadmi Party government, while Mann has accused the BJP-led Centre of using investigative agencies for political purposes.
The dispute comes as Punjab’s political parties prepare for the next Assembly election. Mann has questioned the investigation and said the CBI should make public whether anything was recovered during its searches.
The incident also comes against a backdrop of heightened political scrutiny in Sangrur, Mann’s home district, where a recent controversy involving alleged drug-related harassment had already drawn attacks on the state government. Sangrur drug controversy report
Police Action Follows CBI Visit
The unusual reception also resulted in local police action. The Sangrur police suspended Station House Officer Yashpal Sharma for alleged negligence and detained two people after flower petals were reportedly showered on a CBI vehicle.
Police said the detentions were linked to security arrangements during Mann’s visit to Sangrur. The action has added a separate local law-and-order issue to an already politically charged investigation.
For the Bhagwant Mann Aide at the centre of the case, however, the key issue remains the CBI investigation and the allegations recorded against him and the other accused.
The AAP Protest narrative is likely to remain part of the political debate as the investigation progresses, but the allegations against Ghuman and the other accused will ultimately have to be tested through the legal process.
