The arrest had triggered a political confrontation between the AAP government and the BJP-led Centre. In September, the ED conducted searches at the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) office in Mohali as part of a probe into allegations of money laundering, change of land use and waiver of dues.The searches also covered a government house in Chandigarh's Sector 39 and the residence of a relative of Punjab Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian.
AAP workers protested outside the GMADA premises, alleging that the central agency was being used against the state government ahead of the elections. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), too, conducted searches at eight locations across Punjab and Chandigarh on October 6 in connection with alleged corruption involving Rajbir Ghuman, an Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.The action followed a Punjab and Haryana High Court order directing a CBI probe into allegations flagged by the ED.The CBI searches triggered a political row after the agency also searched Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's camp office.
Mann accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies to target his government ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The BJP rejected the allegation, maintaining that the CBI action followed directions from the High Court.- Ends