By Mukesh 
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) said they have arrested three accused, including two private middlemen and an associate, in connection with a ₹20 lakh bribery case involving the demand and acceptance of illegal gratification on behalf of officials posted in the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.
The opposition parties intensified their attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, asserting that the party’s much-touted anti-corruption crusade had been exposed as a sham.
The Punjab Vigilance, meanwhile, in a statement, said “A private individual has been caught by the CBI and the investigation is ongoing. If the name of anyone from the bureau arises, we will cooperate fully with the CBI and let the law take its course.”
CBI registered a case based on a complaint filed by a Punjab State tax officer, in which it was alleged that the accused Vikas alias Vicky Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal demanded illegal gratification of ₹20 Lakh for securing the closure of a complaint pending against him in the office of the DG (Vigilance), Punjab. It was also alleged that both the accused were acting as intermediaries for senior vigilance officials including the Reader to Director General of Police (DGP) Vigilance, Punjab.
“During verification, allegations regarding the demand for a bribe were prima facie substantiated. The accused negotiated and reduced the demand from ₹20 lakh to ₹13 lakh along with one mobile phone for O.P. Rana, the Reader to DG, Vigilance. During trap proceedings conducted on May 11, 2026, at Chandigarh, accused Ankit Wadhwa, associate of the accused persons, was apprehended while accepting a bribe amount of ₹13 lakh and the mobile phone from the complainant on behalf of the accused persons,” said the CBI statement.
The statement added that during the operation, accused Raghav Goyal, Vicky Goyal and O.P. Rana ran away after being alerted by the gunmen, who were present near the spot for surveillance. After a chase, Raghav Goyal, Vicky Goyal and two gunmen were apprehended by the CBI team near Ambala at the Punjab-Haryana border. However, O.P Rana is still absconding and efforts are being made to arrest him, the statement said.
The wider conspiracy, including a possible illegal gratification nexus and the role of other persons, is under investigation. The accused private persons were given police gunmen officially; hence, the role and attachment of Punjab Police gunmen carrying AK-47 rifles with the private accused persons is also being examined, the statement added.
BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh said, “The CBI raid at Punjab Vigilance headquarters, coming close on the heels of the arrest of a senior Cabinet Minister by ED, has proved that the Kejriwal-Bhagwant Mann duo has made Punjab a big den of corruption. The hoax of fighting against corruption launched by Bhagwant Mann is completely exposed.”
Leader of Opposition, Congress party’s Partap Singh Bajwa said, “The very institution meant to fight corruption now stands accused of being entangled in it. Punjab deserves answers. How deep does this network go, and who is protecting whom?”