On Friday, a CBI court announced a 14-day extension of judicial custody for suspended Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar. He was initially arrested in connection with a significant bribery investigation.
Currently held at Burail jail, Mr. Bhullar attended his court hearing via video conference, marking the conclusion of his initial two-week judicial period.
His counsel confirmed the extension, stating that the CBI had requested an additional fourteen days of judicial custody, which the court granted, setting the next date for November 14.
The DIG and another individual were taken into custody on October 16th, facing charges in a corruption case centered around an alleged ₹8 lakh bribe.
His arrest occurred at his Mohali office, following a complaint from a scrap dealer in Mandi Gobindgarh, Fatehgarh Sahib. The dealer claimed the high-ranking IPS officer demanded ongoing monthly payments to ‘resolve’ a 2023 First Information Report (FIR) filed against him.
The CBI’s FIR details the complainant’s accusation: DIG Bhullar, operating through a middleman, allegedly sought illicit payments. These payments were supposedly to settle the 2023 FIR registered in Sirhind and to guarantee no further aggressive police actions against the scrap dealer’s business.
The complainant also asserted that Mr. Bhullar consistently demanded what he termed “sewa-paani” (recurring monthly payments), coupled with threats of false implication in business-related criminal cases if these demands were not met.
Initially, on October 17, a CBI court had remanded Mr. Bhullar to 14 days of judicial custody, which has now been prolonged as announced on Friday.
Searches conducted by the investigative agency at the DIG’s Chandigarh residence unearthed a significant cache: over ₹7.36 crore in cash, jewellery exceeding ₹2.32 crore, 26 luxury watches, and documents pertaining to immovable properties registered under family members’ names.
He has been formally charged under the applicable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Mr. Bhullar, who assumed the role of DIG (Ropar Range) in November 2024, overseeing Mohali, Rupnagar, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts, was suspended by the state government immediately following his arrest.