Overview
- The Enforcement Directorate sent a written communication to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav that surfaced Wednesday asking him to consider registering a criminal case based on evidence gathered in a money‑laundering probe.
- ThePrint reported the agency identified Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s officer on special duty, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, and two businessmen as subjects in its July letter that included 26 annexures, though official police confirmation is pending.
- ED officers say searches conducted between May 7 and 10 recovered about Rs 21 lakh in cash and electronic material, including WhatsApp chats that the agency says document more than 20 instances of influence on officer postings from 2023–2026.
- The disclosure has provoked a political row: the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and Congress have demanded names and action while AAP leaders called the publicity a weaponisation of central agencies.
- No FIR or formal criminal finding has been announced; the DGP’s decision on the ED request will determine whether Punjab Police open a case, pursue forensic financial probes, or seek further central agency involvement.