Mohali; The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions in Punjab, launched a major operation late Monday night by raiding the Vigilance Bureau office in Mohali. During the action, the reader of a senior Vigilance officer was taken into custody.
According to sources, teams also conducted raids at Krishna Colony in Malout, where Raghav Goyal and Vikas Goyal were detained and later arrested. The case is linked to an alleged demand of ₹25 lakh in bribe. However, the CBI has not issued an official statement yet, and police teams remained active at the locations till late night.
Media reports suggest that the CBI also raided a five-star hotel in Chandigarh, where the reader of a senior Vigilance officer, OP Rana, along with middleman Raghav Goyal and Vikas Goyal, was allegedly finalizing a deal with a complainant. The deal was reportedly fixed at ₹25 lakh, but the complainant arrived with ₹13 lakh, which was recovered during the operation.
A CBI official confirmed the arrest of Raghav Goyal, a resident of Malout in Muktsar district, who is believed to be close to a Vigilance officer. Officials said that an FIR has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) against reader OP Rana and Raghav Goyal.
The CBI raids come two days after the Enforcement Directorate arrested Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with an alleged GST fraud-linked money laundering case involving certain entities linked to him. In October last year, the CBI had arrested Ropar Range DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a bribery case involving ₹8 lakh.
Probe Into Wider Corruption Network
The raid has triggered panic within the Punjab Vigilance Bureau as investigators now suspect a broader network of middlemen and officials involved in facilitating bribery deals.
Officials said the investigation is no longer limited to one case and is being expanded to identify other individuals involved in the alleged corruption chain. Multiple officers and intermediaries are likely to be questioned in the coming days.
Political Reaction
Bikram Majithia of the Shiromani Akali Dal posted on social media claiming that the CBI recovered ₹13 lakh during the operation and alleged that a larger corruption deal involving senior officials was under investigation. He further hinted that more explosive details may emerge soon.
Investigation Intensifies
With key arrests and raids already conducted, CBI officials are now focusing on uncovering the full network behind the alleged corruption racket. Sources indicate that more names could surface as interrogation of the detained individuals continues.
The high-profile raid inside the vigilance system has raised serious questions about internal accountability, as agencies investigating corruption now find themselves under scrutiny.