Punjab DIG arrested in ₹8 lakh bribery case; CBI recovers ₹5 crore cash, luxury cars, gold
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Harcharan Singh Bhullar, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Ropar Range (Punjab), in a major corruption case that has uncovered massive unexplained wealth.
Investigators said they have seized ₹5 crore in cash, 1.5 kg of gold, luxury cars, and dozens of high-end watches from the officer’s properties during searches across Punjab and Chandigarh.
Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer, was arrested along with a private individual identified as Krishna, who allegedly acted as his middleman.
The case began with a complaint filed by Akash Batta, a scrap dealer from Fatehgarh Sahib, who alleged that DIG Bhullar demanded ₹8 lakh as an initial bribe and additional monthly “settlement” payments to avoid being implicated in a fabricated case.
According to the CBI FIR, Bhullar instructed that payments be made through Krishna, who repeatedly followed up on behalf of the officer.
In one intercepted call, Krishna was heard saying: “The August payment was not paid, the September payment was not paid.”
After verifying the complaint, the CBI laid a trap in Chandigarh’s Sector 21, where Krishna was caught red-handed while accepting ₹8 lakh from the complainant.
Officials said a controlled call was then made to DIG Bhullar, during which he acknowledged receipt of the money and instructed both men to meet him at his office. The officer was subsequently arrested from his Mohali office.
Massive recoveries from searches
Following the arrests, CBI teams carried out searches at several locations linked to Bhullar in Ropar, Mohali, and Chandigarh.
The recoveries included around ₹5 crore in cash, 1.5 kg of gold and jewellery, documents of multiple properties across Punjab, two luxury cars – a Mercedes and an Audi, 22 high-end wristwatches, locker keys and 40 litres of imported liquor, firearms and ammunition, including a shotgun, pistol, and revolver.
From the residence of Krishna, investigators recovered an additional ₹21 lakh in cash.
Both Bhullar and Krishna will be produced before a special CBI court on Friday. The agency said it is examining the source of the seized wealth and potential money laundering links.
The CBI has not ruled out the possibility of more arrests as part of its wider probe into alleged corruption and extortion networks within the Punjab Police.
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