Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar arrested by CBI; Rs 5 crore cash, gold, luxury cars seized in massive corruption bust
Punjab DIG: In a sensational anti-corruption operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Punjab’s Ropar Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, after catching him red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh.
The high-ranking IPS officer’s residence was later raided, where officials unearthed a staggering amount of unaccounted wealth, including Rs 5 crore in cash, 1.5 kg of gold jewellery, diamond ornaments, luxury watches, and high-end cars.
According to sources, the CBI team acted on a complaint filed by businessman Aakash Batta, a scrap dealer who accused the DIG of demanding Rs 8 lakh to settle a criminal case registered against him.
Bhullar had allegedly threatened the businessman that his business operations would face harassment if the bribe was not paid. Following a detailed surveillance operation, CBI officers laid a trap and nabbed Bhullar red-handed while accepting the bribe through a middleman named Krishna, who has also been arrested.
During subsequent raids at Bhullar’s residence, the CBI recovered an extraordinary haul — ₹5 crore in cash, 1.5 kg of gold, property documents worth several crores, 22 luxury watches, imported liquor, and a Mercedes and Audi car. The agency also seized a double-barrel shotgun, pistol, revolver, and airgun from the premises.
CBI officials said that the interrogation and searches continued through the night. Both Bhullar and his middleman Krishna are to be produced before a special CBI court today.
Once hailed as a tough and efficient officer, Bhullar had earned a reputation for his aggressive campaign against the Punjab drug mafia, famously dubbed the “War on Destruction.” Ironically, the officer who once led anti-corruption and anti-narcotics operations now stands accused of building his own empire through graft — a revelation that has stunned even veteran investigators.
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