CBI court sends Punjab DIG to judicial custody in bribery case, cash seizure goes up to Rs 7.50 cr

Chandigarh: The cash seizure from the residence of arrested Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Police (Ropar Range) in a bribery case reached up to Rs 7.50 crore, even as a CBI court here on Friday sent Harcharan Singh Bhullar to a 14-day judicial custody.

Bhullar, along with another person, was arrested in connection with a corruption case involving bribery of Rs 8 lakh.

Following the completion of the search operation at the Chandigarh residence of Bhullar on Friday, the CBI said the cash seizure since the raid on Thursday night has gone up to Rs 7.50 crore, while gold jewellery recovered so far has totalled up to 2.50 kg.

In a statement, the central agency said that it has also recovered 26 luxury watches, including brands such as Rolex and Rado, documents pertaining to more than 50 immovable properties held in the names of family members and suspected benami entities, locker keys and details of multiple bank accounts, four firearms along with 100 live cartridges.

From Bhullar's farmhouse in Samrala, the CBI sleuths found 108 bottles of liquor, Rs 15.70 lakh cash and 17 live cartridges.

On Thursday, the CBI had said it recovered around Rs 5 crore cash, 1.50 kg of jewellery, documents of immovable properties, keys of two luxury vehicles, 22 luxury watches, locker keys, 40 litres of imported liquor, firearms, including a double-barrel gun, a pistol, a revolver, and an airgun, along with ammunition during a raid at Bhullar's residence.

Meanwhile, the senior Punjab Police officer was produced before the court after his medical examination on Friday.

Before being produced in the court, Bhullar, when asked about his arrest by reporters, said, "The court will do complete justice and (we) will keep all aspects before the court." Senior advocates H S Dhanoa and A S Sukhija, representing Bhullar, said the CBI court sent Bhullar to judicial custody.

The middleman, identified as Krishanu, was also sent to judicial custody.

Bhullar was held from his Mohali office on Thursday following a complaint lodged by a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib, who accused the senior police officer of demanding recurring monthly payment for "settling" a 2023 FIR against him.

The CBI sleuths conducted searches at the residence of Bhullar in Sector 40 in Chandigarh.

A middleman identified as Kirshanu was also arrested, and the CBI sleuths allegedly recovered Rs 21 lakh from him.

According to an FIR lodged by the CBI, complainant Akash Batta alleged that DIG Bhullar had demanded illegal gratification through his middleman for settling the 2023 FIR registered in Sirhind against him and for ensuring that no further coercive or adverse police action was taken against his scrap business.

The complainant further alleged that Bhullar had been demanding recurring monthly payments, referred to as "sewa-paani", and had threatened to falsely implicate him in business-related criminal cases in case of non-compliance.

Verification of the complaint revealed that Bhullar, through his middleman, demanded Rs eight lakh from Batta for "settling" the FIR and ensuring no further police action against his scrap business, as per the FIR registered by the CBI.

It was revealed that the officer, through his associate, allegedly demanded and agreed to accept illegal gratification of Rs eight lakh from the complainant, both for settling the 2023 FIR pending against him and as recurring monthly payments to allow him to continue his scrap dealing business without police interference.

The complainant, in his statement, claimed that he had been booked in 2023 on false allegations that he was using fake bills.

Bhullar was appointed the DIG (Ropar Range) in November 2024. The Ropar Range comprises Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts.

Harcharan Singh Bhullar is the son of former Punjab director general of police M S Bhullar.