Supreme Court denies bail to suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in corruption case
PTC Web Desk: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to grant bail to suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who was arrested by the CBI in connection with a corruption case.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that key witnesses in the matter are yet to be examined, and at this stage, the denial of bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court appeared justified.
However, the top court granted Bhullar the liberty to move the high court again if trial proceedings fail to begin within two months. It clarified that any such plea would be considered on its own merits.
Bhullar had approached the apex court challenging the high court’s February 16 order, which had rejected his bail application.
Appearing for the suspended officer, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi argued that the investigation had already concluded and both the primary and supplementary charge sheets had been filed. He contended that continued detention served no purpose, especially as the accused was under suspension and posed no risk of absconding.
Rohatgi also questioned the strength of the prosecution’s case, stating that the allegations were not based on a direct trap and relied on indirect claims, including a message allegedly sent while a co-accused was in custody. He further pointed out that the complainant had already been provided police protection.
Despite these submissions, the Bench was not persuaded and refused to interfere at this stage.
Before the high court, Bhullar had maintained that most of the witnesses were official in nature and argued that his suspension ruled out any possibility of influencing them or tampering with evidence. He had also highlighted that the alleged offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act carries a maximum punishment of seven years, while he has remained in custody since October 2025.
- With inputs from agencies
