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ABP Exclusive I Bribes, Transfers, Leaked Govt Data: ED Flags Alleged Corruption In Punjab CM Office
Jagwinder Patial | September 2, 2026 3:11 PM CST

A major development has emerged in Punjab politics, with an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court alleging that the investigation into corruption has reached the office of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The matter is scheduled to be heard on September 3.

According to the ED report, alleged corrupt activities were being operated from the Chief Minister's Office. The agency has submitted a 200-page report along with evidence. It has alleged that the Punjab Police did not cooperate with the ED during the investigation.

The report also names Rajbir Singh Ghumman, the Chief Minister's Officer on Special Duty (OSD), in connection with the allegations. According to the report, financial transactions involving the CM's Office also took place.

Names Mentioned In ED Report

The report alleges that the Punjab Police did not register an FIR against Nitin Goyal, Jitin Goyal, Rajbir Ghumman, Bir Devinder, Romi Raja Mahajan and others despite receiving three letters from the ED.

The ED has accused them of allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy for personal gain, accepting bribes in exchange for transfers and postings, and leaking confidential government information.

The ED had been asking the Punjab Police since July 30 to register a confidential FIR and send a copy to the agency. After the Punjab Police allegedly failed to take action, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

ED Searches In Punjab In May

The ED report contains allegations of widespread corruption in the Punjab government through alleged intermediaries.

The agency had conducted searches from May 7 to May 10, 2026, at the premises of Ajay Sehgal, Nitin Goyal, Suresh Kumar Bajaj and others in Punjab.

During the searches, the ED allegedly recovered a bag containing cash that had been thrown from the balcony of Nitin Goyal's residence. The bag contained Rs 21 lakh.

Nitin Goyal is described as a friend of Rajbir Singh Ghumman, the CM's powerful OSD. According to the ED, WhatsApp chats and documents recovered from Goyal's mobile phone revealed alleged corruption within the Punjab CM's Office.

The agency has also submitted transcripts, details and screenshots of his WhatsApp chats to the High Court.

According to the allegations detailed in the ED report, the investigation uncovered alleged interference in government transfers and postings, tender allotments, the granting of Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions to builders, framing of conditions for policy matters, issuance of arms licences and financial transactions.

The ED claims that Nitin Goyal had links with CM OSD Rajbir Singh Ghumman and had facilitated the appointment of a person close to him in the Chief Minister's Office.

What Else Has The ED Alleged?

The ED has alleged interference in the transfer and posting of government officials. The report lists 21 instances of transfers and postings.

During the investigation, WhatsApp chats, call records, documents and conversations recovered from Nitin Goyal's devices allegedly showed that he was actively involved in transfer and posting matters across several government departments.

According to the records, Goyal allegedly acted as an intermediary between officials seeking transfers and Rajbir Ghumman. He also allegedly obtained draft orders to ensure the posting of people he favoured.

The chats reportedly contain discussions about proposed transfers, preferred postings, movement of officials and departmental changes. They also allegedly show confidential information related to transfers being shared before it was made public.

Payments, Kickbacks And Other Benefits

The report lists 11 instances involving alleged payments, kickbacks and other benefits in exchange for government-related work.

According to the ED, recovered chats and digital evidence indicate that Nitin Goyal and his associates allegedly accepted money, arranged payments, facilitated financial transactions, booked travel and provided other facilities in exchange for assistance in transfer and posting matters, land transactions, policy-related work and government benefits.

The report alleges that the nature of the conversations points to an organised system in which access to and influence over government officials was allegedly used for financial gain.

Nitin Goyal's Alleged Role In Arms Licence Matters

The report refers to 18 instances involving land deals, policy matters, unauthorised access to confidential government information and its alleged leakage.

According to the report, the investigation found that Nitin Goyal and his associates allegedly possessed confidential information concerning transfer proposals, posting orders, policy documents, administrative approvals and other internal government communications before such information had become public.

The findings indicate the possibility of unauthorised access to official records and the alleged leakage of sensitive government information by people with access to such records.

The investigation also uncovered several conversations and contacts related to arms licence matters, including recommendations, approvals, renewals and other related work.

The report suggests that Nitin Goyal allegedly facilitated and coordinated such matters through people holding official positions and influence within the government system.


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