Lawyer Who Demanded CBI Probe Into Mann’s Aides Secures Court Relief Against Demolition

A Punjab lawyer who approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a CBI investigation into corruption allegations flagged by the Enforcement Directorate against aides of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has secured interim protection after demolition proceedings were initiated against his farmhouse in Mohali. Advocate Nikhil Saraf, who filed the public interest litigation, approached the High Court late Friday night, alleging that he was facing harassment from state agencies following his decision to move the court, and expressed concern that his farmhouse in the Majri area of Mohali could soon be demolished.

Given the urgency of the matter, a special Division Bench was constituted late in the evening to hear Saraf's plea, with Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association president Rohit Sud and other members of the association also present during the hearing after the matter was brought to the court's attention through the Bar Association. During the proceedings, the Punjab government gave an undertaking to the court that no demolition action would be taken against Saraf's farmhouse until September 11, offering him temporary relief from the pending action.

Government counsel informed the court that the proposed demolition action stemmed from a notice originally issued in November 2024, followed by a subsequent order passed on September 2. According to the state's submission, any further action related to the property, if deemed necessary, would only be pursued after the September 11 deadline set by the court. Saraf, reacting to the development, expressed appreciation for the Bar Association's swift intervention in taking up the matter, noting that a special bench had been constituted specifically to hear his petition on an urgent basis. He also raised concerns that the demolition notice had reportedly been pasted at the property without an accompanying speaking order explaining the basis for the action.

Also Read: AAP’s Vendetta Charge Against Centre In Delhi Finds Uncomfortable Mirror In Punjab Politics

The case stems from a broader legal challenge filed by Saraf, in which he alleged that senior state officials were involved in a range of corrupt practices, including allegations related to transfers, policy decisions and government tenders being influenced through illicit payments. As part of his petition, the High Court had earlier directed counsel representing the Enforcement Directorate to place before the court communications reportedly sent to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav concerning the allegations against aides of Chief Minister Mann. That directive had come days before the demolition notice targeting Saraf's farmhouse came to light, a sequence of events that has fueled his claims of retaliatory action by state authorities.

Saraf has indicated that he intends to continue contesting the matter, describing separate notices issued by Punjab's tourism department, which he alleged were issued in connection with mining-related interests, as issues that would be addressed through appropriate legal channels going forward. With the High Court's interim protection in place until September 11, the case is expected to return before the court as both the demolition dispute and the underlying corruption allegations against the chief minister's aides continue to be examined through separate but related legal proceedings.

Also Read: Punjab Political Storm: BJP Accuses CM Bhagwant Mann, Wife Of Multi-Crore Extortion Plot