ED vs Punjab Police: Agency Tells Court Seven Letters Sent, Yet No FIR In 'Transfer Racket'

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a detailed reply before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, placing on record seven letters, reports, reminders and supporting documents sent to Punjab authorities over alleged corruption in government transfers and postings, ahead of a scheduled hearing on September 3. The filing comes after the court, on August 27, directed the agency's counsel to place before it the communications allegedly sent to the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, regarding the case.

According to the ED's central allegations, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, allegedly led a racket involving the transfer and posting of state officials, including officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS). The agency has said the alleged network extended to preferential postings across various administrative ranks and, according to earlier reports, involved businessmen Nitin Gohal and Bir Devinder, both described as associates of Ghuman. The ED has said evidence concerning more than twenty officers was flagged in its communications, with allegations spanning the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Official Secrets Act, and criminal conspiracy provisions.

The court's involvement stems from a public interest petition filed by advocate Nikhil Saraf, alleging the involvement of senior state officers in multiple scams, including "cash for transfers," "cash for favourable policies," "cash for tenders," and other illegal activities. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor had asked the ED's counsel to substantiate the petitioner's claims by producing its correspondence with the DGP, and separately sought clarity from the state's Advocate-General on what action, if any, Punjab Police intended to take.

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In its latest filing, the ED has now placed seven communications on record, laying out a chronology of correspondence with Punjab authorities that, according to the agency, has so far not resulted in the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) despite repeated written requests, including one sent under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act with dozens of supporting annexures.

The case has become a flashpoint in Punjab's political landscape, with opposition leaders accusing the state government of shielding officials close to the Chief Minister's office, while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has rejected the allegations and accused the opposition of misusing central investigative agencies for political ends. The High Court's next hearing on September 3 is expected to examine the ED's submissions and determine what further judicial direction, if any, is warranted in the matter.

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