Punjab govt suspends DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar following arrest in bribery case
PTC News Desk: The Punjab Government has suspended Ropar Range DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar after he was arrested by CBI in bribery case, according to state government order.
Bhullar, along with another person, was arrested on Thursday in connection with a corruption case involving bribery of Rs 8 lakh.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested Punjab Police DIG (Ropar Range) Harcharan Singh Bhullar in connection with Rs 8 lakh bribery case. According to CBI officials, DIG Bhullar allegedly demanded Rs 8 lakh through a middleman from a scrap dealer in Mandi Gobindgarh, Fatehgarh Sahib, in exchange for dropping charges in an old case registered two years ago in Sirhind. The officer had reportedly threatened to file new fake cases if the businessman refused to pay the bribe.
Following a formal complaint from the businessman, the CBI conducted a verification and laid a trap operation, during which the middleman was caught red-handed in Chandigarh’s Sector 21 while accepting the bribe money. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of DIG Bhullar, who admitted during a recorded call that the money was demanded on his behalf.
The CBI later carried out extensive raids at Bhullar’s Mohali office and his Sector 40 residence in Chandigarh, deploying a 52-member team from Delhi and Chandigarh. During the search, officers recovered Rs 5 crore in cash packed in three bags and two suitcases, requiring three counting machines to process the money.
Officials also seized gold jewellery, luxury watches, imported liquor, a revolver, and documents related to 15 properties and several luxury vehicles, including BMW and Mercedes cars. The agency also recovered keys to multiple bank lockers. Raids continued late into the night as CBI teams combed through Bhullar’s residence for further evidence.
- PTC NEWS
