Police probe note as missing businessman found dead in hotel room

The CBI has arrested three people for allegedly demanding bribes to settle a tax officer's case (Express photo by Jasbir Malhi).The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday arrested three men in connection with a Rs 20 lakh bribery case involving the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. While the middlemen were apprehended after a high-speed chase, the Reader to the Chief Director of Vigilance remains at large. The case was registered following a complaint by a Punjab state tax officer. According to a CBI statement, the accused, Vikas alias Vicky Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal, demanded Rs 20 lakh to secure the closure of a pending vigilance complaint against the officer.The agency alleged that the duo acted as intermediaries for senior Vigilance officials. Specifically, O P Rana, the Reader to the Chief Director (Vigilance), allegedly assured the complainant that the matter would be settled once the “illegal gratification” was paid. Following a verification process, the bribe amount was allegedly reduced to Rs 13 lakh, and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 mobile phone intended for Rana was provided. On May 11, CBI teams laid a trap in Chandigarh. Ankit Wadhwa, an associate, was caught red-handed while accepting the cash and the phone, according to the statement. Upon seeing CBI officials, the Goyals and Rana allegedly attempted to flee. The agency noted that the accused were alerted by armed gunmen present at the scene for surveillance. After a chase, the CBI team intercepted and apprehended the Goyals and two gunmen near Ambala at the Punjab-Haryana border. However, Rana evaded arrest and remains at large.Story continues below this ad Searches conducted at the residences of the Goyals in Malout and Rana’s home in Chandigarh led to the recovery of Rs 9 lakh in cash and incriminating documents, according to the CBI statement. Further investigation revealed that the accused OP exchanged sensitive information related to ongoing Vigilance matters and private individuals. The broader conspiracy, including potential illegal gratification connections and the involvement of other persons, is still under investigation, the agency noted. “The accused private persons were given police gunman officially. The role and attachment of Punjab Police gunmen carrying AK-47 rifles with the private accused persons is also being examined. The accused will be produced before the designated court at Chandigarh,” the agency added.

The three men in police custody. The Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajkot Rural Police on Wednesday night seized ganja weighing 108 kg and worth around Rs 54 lakh near Shivrajpur village of Jasdan taluka. The SOG team arrested three persons identified as Raju Ishwar Chauhan of Botad, Kadadahar alias Kadarbapu Kasamshah Shaikh of Jamnagar, and Naresh alias Hari Ishwar Limbadiya of Botad. The police seized Rs 84.26 lakh worth of goods from them including the ganja consignment, three phones and the truck. A total of six persons were booked at Bhadla police station under sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in connection with the seizure.The truck was traveling from Adenigarh village of Purnakatak taluka in Boudh district of Odisha to Kalavad town of Jamnagar, Gujarat, said Police Inspector Fatehsingh Pargi of the SOG. The truck covered over 1,662 km for more than a day across five different states undetected by law enforcement agencies before being caught in Rural Rajkot, just 120 km from their destination in Jamnagar, the police said. “This was their fourth trip trafficking ganja across state lines. They earlier brought smaller loads of 20-30 kg,” Pargi said, adding that the arrest was made following a tip off. Those yet to be apprehended include the supplier, Alekha Bishnu Behra of Adenigarh village of Purnakatak taluka of Boudh, Odisha, and two persons who allegedly ordered the illegal consignment – Mohammadrafik Ashraf Lodi and Abdullatif Osman Sama, both residents of Kalavad in Jamnagar. Pargi said that a team would be sent to Odisha to apprehend the alleged supplier Alekha Bishnu Behra.

Mohali police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons under Section 5 of the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, and Section 299(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) into the alleged sacrilege incident reported on the Airport road near Sohana(File Photo)Mohali police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons under Section 5 of the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, and Section 299(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) into the alleged sacrilege incident reported on the Airport road near Sohana, where torn pages of the Gutka Sahib were found scattered, and constituted five teams to identify and arrest the accused, SP City Dilpreet Singh told The Indian Express Wednesday evening. Terming the matter “extremely sensitive”, the SP said, “We are making all-out efforts to crack the case at the earliest. One team each from CIA-2 and the Sohana police station has been deployed, while three other teams are being led by the SP, DSP City-1, and DSP City-2. Technical inputs are also being used. We have received a lead. The case will be solved soon.”Tension gripped the Airport road late Tuesday night after a sewadar first noticed the pages scattered between the stretch of Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan and Gurdwara Mata Sundri near Sohana. According to police, a sewadar first noticed the scattered pages around 11 pm, and soon, locals and youths gathered at the spot in large numbers. Protesting the incident, they blocked the Airport road and searched the surrounding area. The scattered pages were later collected by the sangat and were wrapped in siropas. Accompanied by police personnel, DSP Harsimran Singh Bal reached the spot and initiated an inquiry. “CCTV footage from nearby locations is being scanned,” he said. Members of the local sangat suspect that Gutka Sahibs kept at Gurdwara Singh Shaheedan might have been “taken away and desecrated”. They also suspect that the act could have been “pre-planned”, noting that “the torn pages had been scattered across a considerable stretch”. BJP leader Sanjeev Vashisht also visited the spot late at night and demanded immediate arrests and strict action against those responsible. Vashisht warned that such incidents could disturb communal harmony.Story continues below this ad Meanwhile, Bibi Paramjit Kaur, member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), along with locals and office-bearers of the Mohali Gurdwara Coordination Committee, handed over a memorandum to SP Ramandeep Singh to be submitted to Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harman Deep Singh Hans. The memorandum demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and the strictest possible legal action to curb recurring incidents of sacrilege. The memorandum warned that failure to act promptly could force the Sikh community to launch strong protests, given the gravity of their religious sentiments. The delegation comprised Sukhwinder Singh, the manager of Gurdwara Sri Amb Sahib, presidents of various gurdwara coordination committees in Mohali, and representatives of several Sikh organisations, who jointly endorsed the memorandum. Under Section 5 of the amended Act, stricter penalties have been envisaged for cases of sacrilege, particularly those involving the Guru Granth Sahib. The amendment provides for a minimum punishment of 10 years of imprisonment, which may extend to life imprisonment, along with the possibility of a substantial fine. It also seeks to classify such offences as serious and non-bailable, while specifically covering acts of intentional desecration. The BNS Section 299(5) states: “Whoever with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of citizens of india by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or through electronic means or otherwise insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class shal

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (File photo).Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Wednesday accused the BJP of engineering the twin blasts that rocked the state over the last 24 hours. Speaking to the media after paying obeisance at Sri Anandpur Sahib, Mann alleged the incidents were part of the BJP’s tactics ahead of the state elections next year. “This is the BJP’s style of functioning. Whenever they have to contest an election in a state, they either engineer riots, blasts, or create tension between people of two faiths. These blasts mean that the BJP is getting ready for Punjab,” said Mann.In the past 24 hours, Punjab has been jolted by two blasts, triggering concern across the state. The first explosion took place in Jalandhar, near the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters, where a scooter blast caused panic in the area. The second incident occurred a few hours later in Amritsar, near the Khasa cantonment area, close to Army and BSF establishments. CM Mann said Punjab is a peace-loving state. “People have already seen enough trouble-torn days in the state. The investigation is on and the guilty will be punished,” he said. Calling the BJP a “communal party”, he said, “Now that the Bengal elections are over, they are turning to Punjab. They have themselves said that their next target is Punjab. That is how they garner votes by scaring people away. They should mend their ways. Punjab believes in world peace and in Sarbat Da Bhala. These vile acts will not work. Punjabis have always stood like a rock with the country.” Continuing his attack on the BJP, he said, “It is in front of everyone. Whenever they go for elections in a state, they polarise by making people from different faiths fight. They are upset with the anti-sacrilege law. They had to create a wedge between people through sacrilege. Now nobody would be ready to desecrate as the law is very stringent. But they have to mend their ways.” Election Commission should be answerable, says Mann In response to a question, he said the sacrilege at Gutka Sahib near Mohali on Wednesday will be dealt with under the new sacrilege law. On another question about Mamata Banerjee saying she will not resign, he said, “They (the TMC) are feeling their mandate has been robbed. Their agents were beaten, and their workers were shooed away. The Election Commission is also being accused. The EC should not be on the other side. It should also look into this. The EC is an institution for everyone. It should answer the questions raised.”Story continues below this ad Mann undertook his Shukrana Yatra on Wednesday after paying obeisance at Sri Anandpur Sahib amid the backdrop of the two blasts. The back-to-back nature of the incidents, both near sensitive security installations, has raised serious questions about safety and preparedness. While no major casualties have been reported, investigations are underway, and security has been tightened across the state as agencies work to determine the cause and possible links behind the incidents. Kanchan Vasdev is a Senior Assistant Editor in The Indian Express’ Punjab bureau. She is a highly experienced journalist with 22 years of expertise covering high-stakes politics, governance, and social issues in Northern India. Professional Background Role: Primary reporter covering the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), government policies, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in the state. Experience: She previously worked with The Tribune and has played a key role in launching various city editions. Special Projects: Abandoned Brides: Authored a monograph on brides abandoned by NRIs as part of the Prabha Dutt Memorial Fellowship. Environment: Worked as a Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) fellow, focusing on the pollution levels in the Satluj river. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting focuses on the legislative strategies and political maneuvers of the Bhagwant Mann-led Punja

Punjab will halt the “Vijay Rath (victory chariot)” of the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday said a day after the saffron party claimed that ‘lotus’ will now bloom in the border state following its resounding poll victory in West Bengal. Separately, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said Punjab is not a truck that now someone else’s turn has come to drive it.“The BJP has hijacked democracy and destroyed it. Even if a party wins an election, it does not matter to them. They use agencies like ED and CBI, money power, horse-trade MLAs, break parties, topple governments, send leaders to jail, and get votes deleted and added. What happened in West Bengal was not an election. We have been witnessing what has been happening there for months. The same has been done in Bihar, Maharashtra, and even in my own New Delhi constituency,” Kejriwal said“In the New Delhi assembly constituency, before I went to jail, there were 1,48,000 votes, and when I returned only 1,06,000 remained. Around 42,000 votes were deleted in six months. I had won the previous election by 30,000 votes, but after 42,000 votes were deleted, I lost by 3,000 votes. How can anyone win when all the votes are deleted? This is happening across the country and democracy is under threat,” he said. The AAP leader said that in 2014, there was a wave for Narendra Modi. “After forming the government in May 2014, they kept winning elections… Then came February 2015 and in the Delhi elections, the BJP won only three out of 70 seats.” “Once again, a wave is building. They are winning everywhere…But in the upcoming Punjab election next February, this Ashwamedha horse (BJP) will be stopped, and after the Punjab elections, the Modi government will fall,” he said, adding that the 2027 Punjab election would be “the last election” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kejriwal was addressing the Punjab AAP MLAs at Kapurthala House in New Delhi. The AAP MLAs had accompanied Mann who earlier in the day submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu seeking recall of the six of the seven Rajya Sabha MPs from state who had last month crossed over to the BJP. The AAP supremo said that there is a pro-incumbency sentiment for the Mann government, with every village acknowledging the work done by the administration. “It is very rare for people to praise a government. Usually, after four years, people say there is strong anti-incumbency. But in Punjab, you can go to any village or any locality, and today there is no anti-incumbency; instead, there is pro-incumbency,” he said. Kejriwal asserted that AAP will again in Punjab, but added that hard work will be required. “You will have to go door to door and explain that the BJP hates Punjab and Punjabis. Despite having full power at the Centre, they have done nothing for Punjab. Instead they are snatching even what rightfully belongs to Punjabis,” he said. On the seven MPs who switched to the BJP, Kejriwal said that those seats belonged to Punjabis. “BJP looted those seats from Punjab, and now we all have to work to stop them. Punjab has historically stopped foreign aggression, but this time the enemy is within,” he added. Earlier, speaking to the media after the President, Mann took a swipe at the BJP. “They claim it’s Punjab’s turn. Is the BJP trying to intimidate us? It’s a misunderstanding on their part. They have only two MLAs in Punjab and may end up with none in the next election,” said Mann, adding, “Punjab is not a truck that now someone else’s turn has come to drive it”. He accused the BJP of failing to address issues afflicting Punjab, including matters related to the Bhakra Beas Management Board, water resources, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and funding for rural development and National Health Mission. “Have they advocated for any interests of Punjab? Ever since we enacted the strict anti-sacrilege law, they have been talking about weakening the Bhagwant Mann government by conducting ‘Operation Lotus’ or

The petition claimed that the society funds were allegedly usurped without any actual land being purchased in return.The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Union Territory Administration, the Punjab government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a petition filed by The Punjab Police Primary Consumers Cooperative Society Limited. The registered cooperative body comprising Punjab Police personnel has alleged that senior officials in conspiracy with private builders “fraudulently and illegally transferred” 60 acres of the society’s land in New Chandigarh. The society has sought a CBI inquiry into allegations of embezzlement of funds and the alleged land fraud. The petition, filed under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution, came up before Justice Jagmohan Bansal, who issued notice of motion for August 20, 2026, while directing the respondents to file their replies after taking instructions in the matter. The petition claimed that the society funds were allegedly usurped without any actual land being purchased in return. The society has also alleged that a builder was chosen without any tendering process, further raising questions over transparency and the transaction procedure. It told the court that no FIR was registered so far despite submitting several representations to the senior police officials, including a representation dated August 12, 2023, to the Director General of Police, Punjab and the Senior Superintendent of Police, SAS Nagar. The petitioner submitted that because “high-ranking officials” are allegedly involved, there is little likelihood of the Punjab Police proceeding impartially in the matter, making CBI intervention necessary. Thus, they argued food a court-monitored Central probe Advocates Navkiran Singh and Harmeet Singh appeared for the petitioner. Story continues below this ad On behalf of the respondents, Himanshu Arora, Additional Standing Counsel, along with junior standing counsel Gaurav Vir Singh Behl, accepted notice for the UT Administration. Neha Sonawane, Deputy Advocate General, appeared for the State of Punjab and advocate Prateek Gupta represented the CBI. The matter will now be taken up on August 20, when the respondents are expected to place their stand before the court. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd