The North News
Chandigarh, October 17
A senior Punjab Police officer posted as DIG of the Ropar Range, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, was taken for medical examination on Friday before being produced in a CBI court in Chandigarh. The DIG was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on allegations of demanding and accepting a bribe of ₹8 lakh — a case that has sent shockwaves through the state’s law enforcement establishment on Thursday.
The CBI teams carried out extensive searches at multiple locations linked to Bhullar in Punjab and Chandigarh. The searches led to the recovery of ₹5 crore in cash (with counting still underway), 1.5 kg of gold, property documents, keys to a Mercedes and an Audi, 22 luxury watches, locker keys, 40 litres of imported liquor, and multiple firearms including a double-barrel gun, a pistol, a revolver, an airgun and live ammunition. An additional ₹21 lakh was recovered from the intermediary’s premises.
Bhullar, a 2009 batch IPS officer, was detained on October 16 following a CBI trap operation in Sector 21, Chandigarh. The action stemmed from a complaint alleging that he demanded a bribe to “settle” a criminal case against a local businessman.
According to the CBI, Bhullar also allegedly sought recurring monthly payments through an intermediary. During the operation, the intermediary was caught red-handed accepting ₹8 lakh from the complainant. A controlled call revealed Bhullar acknowledging the payment and instructing both parties to meet him in his office, leading to his arrest.
The case is being closely watched across the state’s police and administrative circles, given Bhullar’s senior position in the force.
