The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged a “cash-for-transfers” racket in Punjab involving private intermediaries linked to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO). In a 200-page affidavit filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the agency alleged that confidential government files, draft transfer lists and policy documents were being accessed, leaked and altered by intermediaries. The affidavit also cited WhatsApp chats and other digital evidence collected during the investigation.

The affidavit came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Nikhil Saraf. The petition seeks an independent investigation into the allegations made by the ED. The Punjab and Haryana High Court is scheduled to take up the matter on September 3. During a hearing on August 28, the court sought responses from the Punjab government, Punjab DGP, Chief Director of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, ED and CBI. Punjab Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi had questioned the maintainability of the PIL and the petitioner’s locus standi.

According to the affidavit filed by ED Assistant Director Akshay Kumar, the agency conducted searches from May 7 to 10 at several premises. The searches allegedly led to the recovery of Rs 20.98 lakh along with digital evidence and documents that the agency described as incriminating. One of the key persons named in the investigation is private intermediary Nitin Gohal.

The ED alleged that Gohal acted as a link between people seeking government-related benefits and Rajbir Ghuman, who serves as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The agency claimed that Gohal helped influence transfers and postings of government officials. It also alleged that he was involved in accessing confidential government documents, facilitating arms licences and helping secure government approvals.

The agency further alleged that Gohal worked with Rajbir Ghuman, Bir Devinder and Jitin Gohal, also known as Raja. According to the ED, the group collected proceeds of crime worth crores through cash, land and other forms of payment. Both Gohal and Ghuman have denied the allegations.

The ED’s investigation began as part of a money laundering case against Ajay Sehgal and associates of M/s Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society. The case also probes allegations that Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions were made via government authorities to certain real estate companies. During the investigation, the agency searched the premises of Gohal, Sehgal, Suresh Kumar Bajaj and others linked to the society between May 7 and 10. The ED said the searches produced documents and digital information relevant to its probe.

A major part of the affidavit focuses on alleged manipulation of transfer and posting lists. The ED claimed that WhatsApp chats showed draft lists involving senior IAS, IPS and PCS officers, DSPs and tehsildars being circulated before their official release. The agency also alleged that some of these lists were altered before publication. It claimed that the intermediary had been strategically placed within the CMO, giving him access to confidential files and government information.

The affidavit contains 21 WhatsApp chats allegedly recovered from Gohal’s mobile phones during the May 8 searches, especially chats from September 20, 2023, to March 18, 2026. According to the ED, they relate to transfers and postings to several departments, including the police, Punjab Civil Services, food and civil supplies, Markfed and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).

The agency has also detailed the broader investigation, beginning with allegations surrounding fake CLUs and consent letters issued to Suntec City. It has outlined what it describes as Gohal’s role in government functioning, transfers and policy-related matters. The affidavit also includes portions of Gohal’s statement recorded during the investigation. He was questioned on more than 40 issues, including his sources of income and his links with people under the agency’s investigation.

The ED has asked the High Court to enter into the record its letters, reminders and information emails. It has also sought directions for a “free, fair and impartial investigation” into the allegations. The agency had earlier written to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav on July 30 and sent a reminder on August 7.

The ED said the allegations warrant examination under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Official Secrets Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code. These include Sections 120-B for criminal conspiracy, 420 for cheating, 467 for forgery of valuable security, will and other documents, and 471 for using a forged document or electronic record as genuine. The agency had sought registration of an FIR against Gohal, Ghuman and others.

The Punjab DGP later forwarded the ED’s letter to the state’s Bureau of Investigation (BoI). The bureau was asked to examine the available legal options before deciding whether an FIR should be registered. In its third reply to the BoI on August 31, the ED said it had already shared the relevant information and material under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) through its July 30 and August 7 communications. The agency declined the Punjab Police’s request for further case details and investigation material.

The allegations have also triggered a political response. Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal attacked the AAP government and questioned why no FIR had been registered against Gohal and others despite three communications from the ED.

In a post on X, he wrote, “3 LETTERS. MORE INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE. STILL NO FIR! The ED has once again, for the third time, written to Punjab Police, asking them to immediately register an FIR against Nitin Gohal and other accused in this high-profile corruption case that has rocked Punjab. In fact, the ED has now submitted additional evidence in the form of chats, screenshots and certified electronic records too! So, what exactly is @PunjabPoliceInd waiting for? Guru Dokhi @BhagwantMann, if there is nothing to hide, why is your government running away from filing an FIR?”

BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also criticised the alleged access to sensitive government information. He said the ED’s affidavit raises serious questions about governance. He pointed to the alleged presence of confidential documents, draft transfer and posting lists, and draft government policies on the mobile phones of intermediaries.

“Is this not a serious issue?” he said. “Sensitive files could pertain to national security, could pertain to counter-terrorism—confidential information that is exchanged between the Central Government, investigative agencies, and the state government. Now, that information reaches the touts of Bhagwant Mann,” he added.

The ED’s allegations are yet to be adjudicated by the court. The High Court’s proceedings will determine the next course of action on the PIL and the agency’s request for an independent and impartial investigation.