Union Home Ministry clears prosecution of suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in graft case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also filed a supplementary chargesheet before the special CBI court in Chandigarh against Bhullar and his alleged associate Kirshanu Sharda.
PTC News Desk:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has sanctioned the prosecution of arrested and suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, paving way for his trial in high-profile corruption case.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also filed a supplementary chargesheet before the special CBI court in Chandigarh against Bhullar and his alleged associate Kirshanu Sharda. The matter has been deffered for next hearing on February 21.
The MHA order, dated January 23, authorises prosecution under Section 19(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988, in the name of the President of India, authorising prosecution of Bhullar, a 2009-batch Punjab-cadre IPS officer, under the provisions of the PCA, 1988 (as amended in 2018), read with Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 — based on investigation conducted by the CBI’s anti-corruption branch, Chandigarh.
A supplementary chargesheet has been submitted under Section 193(9) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, drawing on the forensic analysis of mobile phones seized from Bhullar and his alleged intermediary, Kirshanu Sharda.
Officials said the review of the extracted digital data did not uncover any fresh incriminating evidence or indicate the involvement of additional public officials or private individuals in connection with the alleged demand, acceptance, or recovery of the bribe cited in the current FIR.
However, they noted that separate material retrieved from the mobile devices, along with seized documents and statements recorded during questioning, pointed to other suspicious transactions. These reportedly involve alleged illegal gratification and misuse of official authority by certain public servants in Chandigarh. Sources said these findings are unrelated to the present case and are being probed independently by the agency.
The CBI has asked the court to take cognisance of both the primary and supplementary chargesheets and proceed with the trial of Bhullar and Sharda in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected Bhullar’s petition seeking regular bail in the corruption matter, officials confirmed. The decision marks another setback for the suspended IPS officer, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest in October last year.