Chandigarh. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two middlemen and an associate in connection with a bribery case involving the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, amounting to ₹20 lakh. In this case, the role of senior officials within the Punjab Vigilance Bureau—specifically that of O.P. Rana, the Reader to the DGP (Vigilance)—has also come under the scanner; Rana is currently reported to be absconding.
The CBI registered this case following a complaint filed by a State Tax Officer from Punjab. The complainant alleged that the accused—Vikas alias Vicky Goyal and his son, Raghav Goyal—were demanding a bribe of ₹20 lakh in exchange for getting a pending complaint against him, lodged at the office of the Director General (DG) of Vigilance, Punjab, closed.
According to the complaint, both accused individuals portrayed themselves as being close to senior officials of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau and claimed that they could get the matter “hushed up” in exchange for money. It is further alleged that O.P. Rana, the Reader to the DGP (Vigilance), Punjab, had also assured the complainant that the complaint would be closed once the bribe amount was received.
A preliminary inquiry conducted by the CBI found the allegations regarding the demand for a bribe to be prima facie true. During the course of the investigation, the accused allegedly reduced the bribe amount from ₹20 lakh to ₹13 lakh, with the additional demand of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 mobile phone. It was reported that the mobile phone was specifically demanded for O.P. Rana.
₹13 Lakh and an Expensive Mobile Phone Recovered During Trap Operation
The CBI executed a trap operation in Chandigarh on May 11, 2026. During this operation, the accused, Ankit Wadhwa, was caught red-handed while accepting the ₹13 lakh in cash and the mobile phone from the complainant. The CBI recovered both the bribe money and the mobile phone from the scene.
Accused Apprehended at Ambala Border After a Chase
According to the CBI, during the operation, the accused—Raghav Goyal, Vikas alias Vicky Goyal, and O.P. Rana (the Reader to the DGP Vigilance)—managed to flee the scene. It is alleged that the gunmen present at the location had alerted them in advance. Subsequently, the CBI team gave chase and apprehended Raghav Goyal, Vikas Goyal, and two gunmen in the Ambala region, near the Punjab-Haryana border. However, O.P. Rana remains at large, and continuous raids are being conducted in an effort to locate him.
Raids on Residences; ₹9 Lakh in Cash and Documents Recovered
The CBI also conducted search operations at the accused individuals’ premises. During raids conducted at the Malout residences of Raghav Goyal and Vikas Goyal, as well as at O.P. Rana’s premises in Chandigarh, approximately ₹9 lakh in cash and several crucial documents were recovered.
The investigation has also revealed that sensitive information pertaining to pending vigilance cases was being shared between O.P. Rana and the private individuals accused in the case. The CBI is now investigating the full extent of this bribery network and determining whether other officials or middlemen were also involved.
Private Accused Provided with Police Gunmen
Another startling fact has emerged during the course of the investigation. According to the CBI, the private individuals accused in the case had been officially provided with gunmen from the Punjab Police. These gunmen were armed with AK-47 rifles. The agency is now also investigating why security cover was extended to private citizens in the first place, as well as the specific role played by these gunmen. The CBI has stated that the arrested accused will be produced before a Special Court in Chandigarh. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing, and significant new revelations are anticipated in the coming days.
