Chandigarh, May 12
In a high-profile crackdown, the Central Bureau of Investigation today announced the arrest of three individuals — two private middlemen and an associate — in a ₹20 lakh bribery case linked to Punjab Vigilance Bureau officials. The case was triggered by a complaint from a Punjab State Tax Officer, who alleged that the accused demanded ₹20 lakh to shut down a vigilance complaint pending before the DG (Vigilance), Punjab. The demand was later scaled down to ₹13 lakh and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 handset.
Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap in Chandigarh on 11 May, catching the accused red‑handed while accepting the bribe. The cash and the mobile phone were seized during the operation. One accused, O.P. Rana — Reader to the DGP Vigilance — remains absconding, with efforts underway to nab him.
Searches at the residences of Raghav Goyal and Vikas alias Vicky Goyal in Malout, and at Rana’s premises in Chandigarh, led to the recovery of ₹9 lakh in cash and incriminating documents. Investigators say sensitive vigilance files were being leaked to private players, pointing to a wider conspiracy involving illegal gratification and possible collusion of other officials.
Shockingly, the probe has revealed that the private accused were officially allotted Punjab Police gunmen, some armed with AK‑47 rifles. The attachment of these gunmen to private individuals is now under scrutiny.
The arrested accused are being produced before a designated court in Chandigarh, while the CBI continues to peel back layers of what it calls a “deep nexus of corruption and compromise” inside Punjab’s vigilance machinery.
