A political storm erupted in Punjab after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at the Punjab Vigilance Headquarters in connection with an alleged bribery case. The CBI team first carried out searches late on Monday night and returned to the office of the Punjab Vigilance Chief again on Tuesday morning as part of the ongoing investigation.
The development comes after the CBI earlier raided a five-star hotel in Chandigarh, where it allegedly uncovered a bribery deal worth Rs 20 lakh. During the operation, the agency arrested a middleman linked to O.P. Rana, the reader of the Director General (DG) Vigilance. However, other accused persons reportedly fled after being alerted by security personnel.
The CBI later chased and arrested two accused near Ambala on the Punjab-Haryana border.
Punjab Vigilance officer Sharad Satya Chauhan confirmed that private individuals had been arrested and said the Vigilance Department was fully cooperating with the CBI probe. However, when asked about the role of reader O.P. Rana, Vigilance officials declined to comment.
According to the CBI press note, the case was registered following a complaint by a Punjab state tax officer. The complainant alleged that Vikas alias Vicky Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal demanded a bribe of Rs 20 lakh in exchange for getting a pending complaint against him closed at the office of the DG Vigilance.
The complainant further alleged that the father-son duo acted as middlemen for senior vigilance officials, particularly O.P. Rana, the reader to the DG Vigilance. Rana allegedly assured the complainant that the case would be closed after the bribe was paid.
About the bribery case
During the investigation, the CBI reportedly found evidence supporting the allegations of bribery. The amount was later negotiated down from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 13 lakh. Investigators also alleged that a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 mobile phone was demanded for O.P. Rana.
On May 11, 2026, the CBI laid a trap in Chandigarh and caught accused Ankit Wadhwa red handed while allegedly accepting Rs 13 lakh in cash along with the mobile phone from the complainant.
During the operation, Raghav Goyal, Vikas Goyal and O.P. Rana allegedly attempted to flee after being alerted by a gunman. Following a chase, the CBI arrested Raghav and Vikas Goyal near Ambala on the Punjab Haryana border, while O.P. Rana managed to escape. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.
Searches conducted at premises linked to the accused in Malout and Chandigarh led to the recovery of Rs 9 lakh in cash and several incriminating documents.
The CBI stated that the investigation so far has revealed active involvement by O.P. Rana, including the exchange of sensitive information. The role of Punjab Police gunmen armed with AK 47 rifles, who were allegedly deployed with private individuals, is also under investigation.
The arrested accused include:
Ankit Wadhwa, who was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount and a mobile phone during the trap operation in Chandigarh.
Raghav Goyal, who allegedly acted as a private middleman and was arrested near Ambala after attempting to flee.
Vikas alias Vicky Goyal, father of Raghav Goyal, who was also allegedly involved as a middleman and arrested near Ambala.
Political row erupts
The case has triggered sharp political reactions in Punjab.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said that nobody involved in corruption would be spared. "The BJP stands for ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and now there will also be ‘Sabka Hisaab’," he said.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government maintained that no corrupt person should be protected, but stressed that the Centre should respect the federal structure. Government representatives argued that if a corruption case pertains to the state, the Centre should inform the state government, and vice versa. They also criticised the situation, saying one agency appeared to be targeting another.
Punjab Vigilance Bureau officials reiterated that only private individuals had been arrested so far and assured complete cooperation with the CBI investigation.
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