Chandigarh, May 12 -- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday night conducted a search at the Punjab vigilance bureau office in Mohali after arresting an alleged middleman who was "facilitating a Rs.25-lakh deal along with the VB chief's reader to settle a case", said people familiar with the matter.

The federal probe agency first raided a five-star hotel in Chandigarh when inspector OP Rana, reader to vigilance chief director SS Chauhan, along with "middleman" Raghav Goel, were striking a deal with a complainant, they added.

The deal was for Rs.25 lakh but the person came with Rs.13 lakh that have been recovered, said an official, who did not want to be named. While Goel, a resident of Muktsar's Malout, who is believed to b...