Punjab DIG's graft case: More cash, gold seized from cop's residence in CBI raid

Chandigarh, Oct 17 (PTI) The cash seized by the CBI from Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Police (Ropar Range) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, arrested on bribery charges, has gone up to Rs 7.5 crore besides gold jewellery weighing 2.5 kg, officials said Friday.

The central agency arrested Bhullar on Thursday for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 8 lakh from a scrap dealer besides demanding a regular monthly payment.

Until late Thursday night, the recovered amount included Rs 5 crore in cash, 1.50 kg of jewellery, and other items and documents related to immovable properties, including benami ones, as per officials.

The accused cop was sent to judicial custody on Friday after the CBI produced him before a special court in Chandigarh.

The central agency said, after concluding the searches, that it has seized a total of Rs 7.5 crore cash, gold jewellery weighing around 2.5 kg, 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 and four firearms along with 100 live cartridges were also seized during the search operation, the agency spokesperson said.

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

The searches, which went on overnight, were conducted at Bhullar's residence in Sector 40, Chandigarh.

A middleman identified as Kirshanu was also arrested, and Rs 21 lakh has been reportedly recovered 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.

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. PTI ABS CHS AMJ AMJ AMJ