Fear and scrutiny raise concerns over administrative slowdown.
Punjab's administrative machinery appears increasingly cautious after a dramatic late-night raid by the Central Bureau of Investigation at the Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali triggered political tremors and bureaucratic anxiety across the state.
Even before official statements were issued, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia began publicly revealing developments through social media posts and media briefings, intensifying debate around the operation.
On the night of May 11, while the raid was still underway, Majithia claimed that a central agency had recovered alleged bribe money linked to a Rs 20 lakh settlement deal and that the Vigilance chief's office had been sealed. He further alleged that senior officials were "missing" after the crackdown.
By the next morning, political and administrative circles in Chandigarh were abuzz with speculation over the scale and implications of the probe.
The CBI subsequently arrested three persons, including a father-son duo accused of acting as middlemen in a bribery case tied to the settlement of a vigilance complaint. The operation stemmed from allegations by a Punjab State Tax officer who claimed he was being pressured to pay money for closure of a disproportionate assets case pending before the Vigilance Bureau.
The most politically sensitive dimension, however, has been the alleged involvement of Inspector O P Rana, reader to Vigilance chief IPS Sharad Satya Chauhan. Rana reportedly went missing after the raid and remains absconding. Punjab Vigilance later wrote formally to the Punjab Armed Police seeking information regarding the officer.
Majithia quickly escalated the matter into a broader political attack, alleging that the Vigilance Bureau had become a "den of corruption" and questioning how private middlemen allegedly moved with AK-47 armed Punjab Police security personnel. He also linked the episode to internal power equations within the state police, claiming the raid exposed tensions related to the upcoming appointment of the Director General of Police. Chauhan is among the senior officers whose names were reportedly forwarded to the UPSC panel for DGP consideration.
Beyond the immediate political fallout, what followed within the bureaucracy has drawn equal attention.
Senior officials privately acknowledged that officers have begun revisiting sensitive files cleared over the past two years, particularly in departments such as land, local bodies, mining, excise and procurement. A retired IAS officer said many officers are now reluctant to clear files without explicit written instructions. "Everyone fears future scrutiny," he remarked.
A serving officer admitted that verbal approvals are increasingly being avoided, with greater emphasis placed on documented directives and procedural safeguards.
The developments coincided with a wave of administrative reshuffles. Punjab Police transferred 29 officers across districts and specialised units, including intelligence and anti-narcotics wings. Simultaneously, the state government made changes in senior positions within the Public Relations Department amid the political controversy surrounding actions by central agencies. Opposition parties have projected the episode as evidence of a governance crisis. Majithia alleged that the Vigilance Bureau, originally projected as a robust anti-corruption institution, was being misused against political opponents while internal corruption flourished. Leaders from the Indian National Congress, including Partap Singh Bajwa and Pargat Singh, accused both the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab and the BJP-led Centre of weaponising investigative agencies for political ends. The ruling AAP government has rejected the allegations, describing the central action as politically motivated. Punjab AAP chief Aman Arora accused the BJP of using federal agencies to target opposition-ruled states. Vigilance officials have maintained that they will fully cooperate with the CBI if any officer's role emerges during investigation. Yet within the bureaucracy, the mood remains guarded. Sources in Chandigarh suggest that some officers have informally explored options such as central deputation or lower-profile postings, concerned that shifting political alignments could expose them to retrospective scrutiny regardless of which party holds power.