The CBI trapped Punjab Vigilance Bureau staff on May 11 accepting Rs 13 lakh in cash and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — part of a Rs 20 lakh bribe to make a corruption complaint disappear. Punjab's government responded by raising a federalism concern.
The CBI trapped Vikas alias "Vicky" Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal on May 11, 2026, catching them accepting Rs 13 lakh in cash plus a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphone — the balance of a Rs 20 lakh demand — from a Punjab state tax officer who had a complaint pending at the Vigilance Bureau. The money was intended for O.P. Rana, personal reader (staff assistant) to the Director General of Punjab Vigilance; Rana is currently absconding. A BJP youth leader was among those arrested. The CBI followed with raids at the Vigilance Bureau's own headquarters. Punjab's government did not address whether its anti-corruption chief's office staff had been charging the corrupt to be uncorrupted; instead, it expressed concern that the Centre should respect "federal structure" by notifying states before raiding their anti-corruption agencies. As of publication, the bribe — including the phone — has been seized; the absconder has not.