The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought clarification from the Punjab Government over allegations that Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains visited Canada in January 2024 without obtaining mandatory political and Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act clearance from the Government of India.The court was hearing a PIL filed by Jalandhar resident Karanpreet Singh, who has sought an independent CBI inquiry into the minister’s foreign visit. The petitioner has also sought records relating to Bains’ stay in Canada and travel allowances claimed for visits to Punjab and Delhi during the same period.According to the petition, Bains visited Canada on a private trip from January 17 to 20, 2024. The petitioner alleged that government records, however, showed the minister’s presence and local visits at various locations in Punjab and Delhi during the same period.The court observed that although the state had denied any financial impropriety concerning the vehicle allegedly used to transport the minister to Delhi for his flight, questions remained about the payment of charges for the vehicle’s three-day stay and the alleged absence of clearance. It directed the Punjab government to respond to the assertions raised in the petition.