October 8, 2026: The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred by a day the hearing on the Punjab government’s Special Leave Petition (SLP) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order directing a CBI investigation into alleged corruption in government transfers, postings and tenders in the state. The matter will now be heard on Friday.
 

The Punjab government had approached the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision to hand over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The allegations relate to alleged financial dealings in government transfers and postings, favourable policy decisions and bribery in tender-related matters.
 

Given the seriousness of the matter, the state government moved the Supreme Court without delay and filed its SLP at around 1.42 am. The plea challenged the High Court’s directions for a CBI investigation into the allegations.
 

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the Punjab government, had sought an urgent hearing. The Chief Justice had indicated that an attempt would be made to take up the matter on either Wednesday or Thursday.
 

During the proceedings, Singh argued that alleged cases were being raised in view of the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. He also contended that handing over the investigation to the CBI raised issues concerning the federal structure.
 

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema had also raised the issue of the CBI’s jurisdiction in the matter. He said on Monday that the previous Captain Amarinder Singh government had withdrawn the state’s general consent for the CBI to conduct investigations in Punjab in November 2020. Cheema had described the issue as an interference with the federal structure.
 

Why the High Court Ordered a CBI Probe
 

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered the CBI to register an FIR and immediately begin an investigation while directing the agency to submit its report to the court within two months.
 

The order was passed by a Bench headed by Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor while deciding a public interest litigation filed by Nikhil Saraf.
 

The High Court observed that the allegations involved references to senior officials in the Chief Minister’s Office, political leaders and senior police and civil administration officers. It held that an impartial investigation could not be conducted by the Punjab Police and therefore transferred the matter to the CBI.
 

The High Court’s directions were based on information shared by the Enforcement Directorate under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The court directed the CBI to register an FIR on the basis of the information.
 

ED Had Written to Punjab DGP
 

The Enforcement Directorate had first written to the Punjab Director General of Police on July 30 and subsequently sent two more communications. The High Court noted that the Punjab Police had not registered an FIR despite two months having passed and observed that the action taken by the state police so far was not satisfactory.
 

Nikhil Saraf, in his petition before the High Court, had levelled allegations of corruption against persons holding government positions and senior government officials. The petition also raised allegations concerning certain individuals associated with the Chief Minister’s Office.
 

The ED had earlier written three letters to the Punjab DGP regarding alleged corruption in government transfers, postings and other financial dealings.
 

The Supreme Court’s hearing on the Punjab government’s challenge to the CBI probe will now take place on Friday.