Supreme Court Delays Punjab Government's Challenge to CBI Corruption Probe

The Supreme Court set aside a day to consider Punjab's challenge to a high court order that compelled the Central Bureau of Investigation to file a criminal case involving officials close to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu, refused to issue an interim stay until both judges could review the petition, citing that the case file had not reached Justice Nagu. Senior counsel Vikas Singh, representing the state, highlighted the urgency and sought a direction preventing the CBI and Enforcement Directorate from proceeding, but the court scheduled a full hearing for Friday.

The case unfolds against a backdrop of upcoming state elections, with the Mann government alleging the central agencies are being used by the BJP to target them. Recent CBI actions include raids on eight locations, the summoning of OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and five others, and the registration of a 251-page FIR naming several accused for allegedly running a bribery network that manipulated civil service postings and approvals.