Suspended Punjab DIG Bhullar sent to 5-day CBI remand in DA case

Chandigarh, Nov 6 (PTI) A CBI court here on Thursday granted a five-day remand of suspended Deputy Inspector General of Punjab Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a disproportionate assets case.

Bhullar was produced before the court here after his five-day remand in a bribery case ended. His counsel H S Dhanoa said the court granted a five-day remand of Bhullar to the CBI.

The CBI had arrested Bhullar on October 16 along with a middleman for allegedly accepting Rs 5 lakh in a bribe from a scrap dealer as "sewa pani".

Bhullar was held from his Mohali office following a complaint lodged by a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib, who accused the senior IPS officer of demanding recurring monthly payment for "settling" a 2023 FIR against him.

The complainant had 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.

During searches at his residence in Chandigarh, the CBI seized cash worth over Rs 7.36 crore, jewellery worth over Rs 2.32 crore, 26 branded and expensive watches besides documents of immovable properties in the names of family members.

Bhullar was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

But on October 29, the CBI filed a fresh FIR against Bhullar for amassing disproportionate assets after seizure of documents and cash from his residence indicated huge wealth beyond his known sources of income.

"...Acquisition of agricultural land measuring around 150 acres in the districts of Mohali, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana and commercial properties in the name of HS Bhullar, his family members (comprising wife Tejinder Kaur Bhullar, son Gurpartap Singh Bhullar and daughter Tejkiran Kaur Bhullar) and others," the FIR had alleged.

The CBI had found that according to the Income Tax return filed by Bhullar for the assessment year 2025-26, his total declared annual income from all known sources is to the tune of Rs 45.95 lakh. PTI CHS NB NB