Mohali ; The impact of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s action in the alleged ₹25 lakh bribery deal was clearly visible at the Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali on Tuesday morning, after the CBI sealed the office of Inspector OP Rana.
Several employees faced difficulties entering the concerned section of the office after the premises linked to Rana were sealed late Monday night. CBI officials remained stationed both inside and outside the headquarters, closely monitoring the movement of officers and staff members.
According to officials, the CBI team reached the Vigilance headquarters late at night and sealed the office of Inspector OP Rana, who was reportedly posted as the reader to the Vigilance chief. Rana has been accused of involvement in an alleged ₹25 lakh bribery deal linked to a hotel in Chandigarh’s Sector-35.
In the same case, the CBI arrested alleged middleman Raghav Goyal, a resident of Malout, from the spot during the operation, while Rana is currently absconding.
When employees arrived for duty on Tuesday morning, routine work in a section of the headquarters was disrupted due to the CBI seal. Some staff members reportedly faced difficulty accessing record rooms and offices connected to the investigation.
Sources said the CBI team also took away several documents, mobile phones and other records during the overnight operation.
Preliminary investigation by the agency has revealed that the alleged deal was linked to settling a property dispute and a Vigilance-related inquiry. The complainant had reportedly arrived at the hotel carrying the agreed bribe amount, but was found with only ₹13 lakh in cash.
The CBI had already been monitoring the conversations and, after recording the exchanges, laid a trap and carried out the operation.