The Punjab government is examining the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) allegations against private person Nitin Gohal and others for allegedly colluding with the officer on special duty (OSD) to chief minister Bhagwant Mann to illegally influence various government functioning.
In ED’s letter to the Punjab director general of police (DGP), accessed by HT, the federal agency has alleged that Gohal acted as an intermediary between interested persons and Rajbir Ghuman, OSD to CM Mann, and was involved in influencing transfers and postings of government officials, leaking confidential government documents, facilitating arms licences and securing government approvals in lieu of alleged monetary and other benefits.
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The communication, sent under Section 66 (2) of PMLA, has put the state government in a bind as the agency has sought registration of a “confidential FIR” against Gohal and others based on material gathered during its investigation.
In exchange, Gohal, in coordination with associates Ghuman, Bir Devinder, Jitin Gohal, alias Raja, collected proceeds of crime to the tune of crores in the form of cash, land and kind, according to ED communication. The ED had also claimed to have seized ₹1 crore in cash and recovered a bag containing ₹20 lakh that was allegedly thrown from a flat in a private society in Kharar owned by Gohal.
{{/usCountry}}In exchange, Gohal, in coordination with associates Ghuman, Bir Devinder, Jitin Gohal, alias Raja, collected proceeds of crime to the tune of crores in the form of cash, land and kind, according to ED communication. The ED had also claimed to have seized ₹1 crore in cash and recovered a bag containing ₹20 lakh that was allegedly thrown from a flat in a private society in Kharar owned by Gohal.
{{/usCountry}}While DGP Gaurav Yadav did not respond to HT’s message for his comment, Gohal termed ED’s allegations “false propaganda to implicate Ghuman”.
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“Rajbir is my old friend and I have been assisting him in his office as OSD to the chief minister as a personal assistant. ED is distorting administrative chats. If they had evidence, they would have booked me. But they have failed to establish my role in any fraud,” he said.
The August 11 letter also sparked political furore, lending a potent issue to the opposition parties to target the AAP government in the run up to the assembly elections due early next year.