Harcharan Singh Bhullar, a suspended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Punjab Police, has been remanded to five days of custody with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). This development comes after his arrest on charges of accumulating assets far exceeding his known income.
Bhullar and his alleged accomplice, Kirshanu Sharda, were initially apprehended by the CBI on October 16, 2025. Their arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by a scrap dealer in Fatehgarh Sahib, who accused the DIG of soliciting bribes and regular illicit payments. These demands were allegedly made through his middleman to settle an existing FIR against the dealer and prevent further adverse police action against his business operations.
The CBI court approved the custody request, acting on an application filed under Section 187 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023. CBI counsel Narender Singh emphasized the critical need for Bhullar’s custodial interrogation to ensure a thorough, fair, and effective investigation.
Singh further elaborated that two mobile phones belonging to Bhullar were confiscated upon his arrest. A forensic digital image of these devices was created and preserved according to legal protocols. A preliminary review of the extracted data has revealed extensive and incriminating chat messages and communications between Bhullar and Kirshanu.
Additionally, the CBI counsel highlighted that numerous conversations found on Bhullar’s phone strongly suggest a systematic effort to influence judicial orders and decisions.
The CBI has formally registered an FIR against Mr. Bhullar and other unidentified individuals. The charges include violations under Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
During the investigation, the CBI successfully caught Sharda in the act of demanding and accepting ₹5 lakh from the complainant in Chandigarh, purportedly on behalf of Mr. Bhullar. Subsequent searches led to the recovery of a substantial amount of cash, totaling ₹7,36,90,000, of which ₹7,36,50,000 was officially seized. Investigators also confiscated gold and silver jewelry valued at ₹2,32,07,686 from Bhullar’s bedroom, along with 26 expensive branded watches and documents pertaining to immovable properties.