CBI Arrests Punjab DIG in ₹8 Lakh Bribery Trap; Massive ₹5 Crore Cash, Gold, and Luxury Cars Seized

CBI Arrests Punjab DIG in ₹8 Lakh Bribery Trap; Massive ₹5 Crore Cash, Gold, and Luxury Cars Seized

Following the arrests, the CBI conducted searches at multiple locations connected to Bhullar in Punjab and Chandigarh.

RMN News Anti-Corruption Desk
New Delhi | October 17, 2025

Mohali/Chandigarh, October 17, 2025 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a senior Punjab Police officer, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, along with a middleman, in a major corruption case. The arrest followed a trap operation where the official was caught red-handed accepting a bribe.

Details of the Arrest and Allegations

DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who is the Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Ropar range, was arrested on corruption charges. The case involved a bribe, cited as ₹8 lakh in a CBI press release, though Bhullar was caught red-handed accepting Rs 5 lakh from a scrap dealer according to initial reports. The CBI laid a trap and apprehended both the public servant and the private individual at the DIG’s office in Sector 21, Chandigarh, after they were caught demanding and accepting the payment.

The complaint, filed by Akash Batta of Mandi Gobindgarh, alleged that the DIG, through an individual named Kirshanu (identified as the arrested middleman), demanded bribes and monthly payments, referred to as ‘sewa-paani’. The officer allegedly threatened false criminal cases if these payments were not made. A recorded WhatsApp call on October 11, 2025, confirmed that Bhullar had instructed Kirshanu to collect Rs 8 lakh. The CBI operation was conducted without the involvement of Punjab police personnel to ensure its independence.

The scrap dealer had been summoned to Bhullar’s Mohali office to deliver the first installment when the CBI team intervened.

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Massive Seizure of Assets

Following the arrests, the CBI conducted searches at multiple locations connected to Bhullar in Punjab and Chandigarh. These searches led to the recovery of substantial cash and incriminating material.

Recoveries from the public servant’s premises included:

• Cash of approximately ₹5 crore (and counting).
• Jewellery weighing about 1.5 kg of gold.
• Documents pertaining to over 15 immovable properties and assets in Punjab.
• Keys of two luxury cars: a Mercedes and an Audi.
• 22 luxury watches.
• Several locker keys.
• 40 litres of imported liquor bottles.
• Various firearms, including a double-barrel gun, a pistol, a revolver, and an airgun, along with ammunition.

Additionally, the middleman was found to be in possession of ₹21 lakh in cash.

Officer Background and Court Appearance

Harcharan Singh Bhullar is identified as an Indian Police Service officer, noted in the sources as either belonging to the 2007-batch or the 2009 batch. He assumed charge as Ropar Range DIG on November 27, 2024, after previously serving as Patiala Range DIG, joint director at the vigilance bureau, and Senior Superintendent of Police in Jagraon, Mohali, and Sangrur. Bhullar is the son of former Punjab DGP Mehal Singh Bhullar and was known for leading the ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ anti-drug campaign.

Following the arrest, the Punjab DIG was taken to Panchkula for questioning. Both accused were scheduled to be produced before the designated court on October 17, 2025. Searches and further investigation in the case are continuing.

Meanwhile, a CBI court in Chandigarh on Friday (October 17) sent Bhullar to a 14-day judicial custody following his arrest in the corruption case.