A Punjab lawyer who approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a CBI probe into corruption allegations flagged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against aides of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has secured interim protection after demolition proceedings were initiated against his farmhouse in Mohali.
The development comes days after the High Court sought the Punjab government’s response to Saraf’s PIL seeking a CBI investigation into an Enforcement Directorate communication sent to the Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.
Advocate Nikhil Saraf, who filed the PIL, approached the High Court late Friday night, alleging that he was being harassed by state agencies after moving the court and expressing apprehension that his farmhouse in the Majri area of Mohali could be demolished. The development comes days after the High Court sought the Punjab government’s response to Saraf’s PIL seeking a CBI investigation into an Enforcement Directorate communication sent to the Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. These allegations have not been established in court. The demolition proceedings against Saraf’s farmhouse have now added another layer to the case. The court has not, at this stage, made any finding linking the demolition proceedings to Saraf’s PIL.
During the hearing, the Punjab government assured the High Court that no demolition action would be taken against Saraf’s farmhouse until September 11. The government counsel told the court that the proposed action was based on a notice issued in November 2024 and an order passed on September 2. Any further action, if required, would be taken only after September 11.
