NEW DELHI: A day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to take up a plea for restraining its probe into allegations against OSD to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, CBI was learnt to be in possession of evidence of “compromised transfers” of at least 21 senior state govt and police officers of Punjab.The evidence, collected as part of its probe into the “cash-for-postings” scam, includes an alleged push for the transfer of a senior cop from the anti-gangster task force and the suspension of an officer of Sangrur jail. CBI, based on ED probe, has mentioned alleged instances of Mann’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman’s role in its FIR against him.Eleven alleged instances of changes in policy, including bid to influence the transport policy and administrative decisions, have also been cited. The FIR mentions instances of request for issue of arms licences, including the one made to a senior IPS officer by Nitin Gohal, an accused in the case.Gohal allegedly had his brother, Jitin, also an accused, posted in CMO through Ghuman in Jan to act as a middleman. Gohal was questioned by ED in May regarding his alleged role in organising administrative favours, and tender manipulations across Punjab.
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Confronted with evidence containing numerous communications from officers, and MLAs requesting posting favours, Gohal pointed to his 22-year friendship with Ghuman.He said he merely performed “data entry type work”, including compiling spreadsheets and forwarding them to CMO officials. Probe, however, found Gohal acquired an industrial plot in Mohali, financed equally by his business partner, after purchasing the land from Pritpal Dhindsa, who had similarly approached Gohal with transfer requests.The probe highlighted Gohal’s dealings with rice sheller businessman R S Nagra. Evidence showed Nagra repeatedly approaching Gohal for transfers of officials. He sought Gohal’s intervention to alter tender terms.
