CBI had asked Ghuman to appear before its Sector 30 office in Chandigarh at 2.30 pm on Wednesday. He did not turn up. Officials at the Punjab CM’s office said Ghuman had not been served the summons.
The development came a day after the agency registered an FIR against Ghuman and five others and conducted searches at eight locations across Punjab and Chandigarh. The searches included premises linked to Ghuman, his associates and the chief minister’s camp office in Chandigarh.
The FIR names Ghuman, Nitin Gohal, Jitin Gohal alias Raja, Romi Raja Mahajan, Bir Devinder and RS Nagra, besides unidentified public servants and private persons.
The case relates to allegations of corruption, bribery, influence-peddling and manipulation of government processes, including transfers and postings of officials, tenders, administrative approvals and access to confidential government documents.
CBI has alleged that the accused were part of a network that sought to influence government decisions and official postings in return for monetary and other benefits. The agency seized laptops, mobile phones and documents during Tuesday’s searches and the material is being examined. The action followed an October 5 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
