Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
Chandigarh, Oct 17: In a high-profile corruption case that has rocked the Punjab Police, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Ropar Range, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, was sent to 14 days' judicial custody by a CBI court here on Friday, a day after his arrest on bribery charges and the seizure of enormous assets from his properties.
Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer and son of former Punjab DGP M.S. Bhullar, was arrested alongside middleman Kirshanu Sharda by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after being caught in a bribery trap involving Rs 8 lac. The action followed a complaint from a scrap dealer, who alleged that Bhullar had been demanding monthly bribes, or "sewa-paani", to settle a 2023 FIR against him and ensure no further police action on his business.
The CBI registered a case and laid a trap, catching Sharda red-handed while accepting Rs 8 lac on Bhullar’s behalf in Sector 21, Chandigarh. A controlled phone call between the complainant and the DIG, during which Bhullar allegedly acknowledged the bribe and summoned them to his office, further sealed the case. Both Bhullar and Sharda were arrested shortly thereafter from the DIG's office.
The scale of the subsequent CBI searches stunned investigators. Raids on Bhullar's properties in Punjab and Chandigarh led to the recovery of:
• Rs 5 crore in cash (and counting)
• 1.5 kg of gold jewellery
• Documents related to extensive real estate holdings
• Keys to Mercedes and Audi luxury cars
• 22 high-end watches
• Locker keys and 40 litres of imported liquor
• Multiple firearms, including a double-barrel gun, pistol, revolver, airgun, and ammunition
An additional Rs 21 lac in cash was recovered from the middleman.
Bhullar had previously headed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the high-profile drug case involving Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, making his arrest even more significant in the state’s policing and political landscape.
The court ordered judicial custody for both accused as the investigation continues into what could be one of Punjab's most serious corruption scandals in recent years.