The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case in Jalandhar against Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in connection with allegations of corruption and influence-peddling involving persons linked to the Chief Minister’s Office.The development comes a day after the Supreme Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not to take coercive action in the case registered by it, while refusing to stay the FIR or halt the investigation. The court also directed the Punjab Government to cooperate with the probe.In an official statement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the ED’s haste in registering the case against Ghuman was surprising, given that the Supreme Court had directed the CBI not to take coercive action till the next date of hearing on January 21, 2027.The case stems from communications sent by the ED to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, flagging alleged irregularities involving government transfers and postings, tender processes, administrative approvals, access to confidential government documents and other official decisions.The allegations relate to the alleged exchange of monetary or other benefits for facilitating government favours.After the Punjab Police did not register an FIR on the basis of the ED’s communications, advocate Nikhil Saraf approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking an independent investigation.On October 5, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor directed the CBI to register a criminal case and investigate the allegations. The agency was also directed to submit a report within two months, with the state government and the Punjab Police asked to provide the necessary assistance.The CBI subsequently registered an FIR against Ghuman and five others and conducted searches at multiple locations, including the Chief Minister’s camp office in Chandigarh. Though Ghuman was summoned thrice by the CBI, he did not join the investigation.The Punjab Government challenged the High Court’s order in the Supreme Court, questioning the direction for a CBI probe.On October 12, the Supreme Court issued notice to the CBI on the state government’s plea but declined to stay the FIR. It directed that no coercive steps be taken while the matter remained pending.