The CBI probe into Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s office began with letters from the Enforcement Directorate and a public interest petition. Here is how the case built up.

The Enforcement Directorate wrote three letters to the Punjab police chief in July and August. The letters sought an FIR against Rajbir Singh Ghuman, the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty, and his associates. The agency’s case grew from a money-laundering probe into a Rs 348-crore real estate project.

The Punjab Police did not register a case. Instead, it sought a legal opinion. Advocate Nikhil Saraf then filed a PIL asking for a probe free from the influence of the state police.

On October 5, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the CBI to investigate. The court gave the agency two months to file its report. On October 6, the CBI registered an FIR against Ghuman and five others and searched eight locations, including the Chief Minister’s camp office. On October 7, Ghuman was summoned for questioning.

The charges relate to alleged irregularities in transfers and postings of IAS and IPS officers, tenders, licences, and land matters. The accused deny wrongdoing. A CBI probe is not a verdict of guilt.