Chandigarh: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested Harcharan Singh Bhullar, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Ropar Range, in a high-profile corruption case. The senior Punjab Police officer was allegedly caught red-handed accepting a ₹5 lakh bribe at his Mohali office, leading to sensational raids that uncovered vast amounts of cash, gold, and luxury assets.
The arrest followed a complaint from Naresh Batta, a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh, who alleged that DIG Bhullar was extorting money from him. According to the FIR, Bhullar had been demanding a monthly payment, termed ‘sewa-paani’, and had also demanded a total of ₹28 lakh to settle a 2023 criminal case and to prevent further harassment.
The CBI’s case is bolstered by damning digital evidence, including a purported WhatsApp call recording from October 11. In the audio clip, Bhullar is allegedly heard instructing a middleman, Kirshanu, who has also been arrested, to collect money from the complainant. The FIR quotes the DIG as saying, “…8 fadne ne 8… Chal jinna denda nal nal fadi chal, ohnu kehde 8 kar de pura (Take ₹8 lakh… or accept whatever he gives. But tell him he must complete ₹8 lakh).”
Following the arrests, CBI teams conducted extensive searches at Bhullar’s properties. The raids led to a staggering recovery of assets, underscoring the scale of the alleged corruption. From Bhullar’s residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 40 alone, the agency claims to have seized ₹5 crore in cash and 1.5 kg of gold jewellery. The volume of currency was so large that cash-counting machines had to be brought in.
Investigators also seized a trove of luxury items, including keys to BMW and Audi cars, documents for multiple properties, 22 high-end watches, 40 litres of imported liquor, and several firearms. An additional ₹21 lakh in cash was recovered from the middleman, Kirshanu.
Bhullar, an IPS officer of the 2007 batch and the son of a former Punjab DGP, had taken charge as the Ropar Range DIG in November 2024. The investigation is ongoing.
