Chandigarh: In a dramatic escalation of Punjab’s most explosive corruption saga, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stormed back into the opulent Sector-40 residence of suspended Deputy Inspector General Harcharan Singh Bhullar on Thursday convinced that the disgraced cop’s “treasure trove” holds even darker secrets.
Just eight days after his shocking arrest for pocketing bribes, a squad of 11 officers from Delhi descended in a fleet of unmarked vehicles, methodically scouring every nook — from hidden safes to dusty attics — leaving no corner unturned. Sources whisper of fresh hauls: stacks of undeclared cash, glittering valuables, and clues to a web of benami empires that could dwarf the initial Rs 7.5 crore seizure.
Bhullar, the 2009-batch IPS officer once hailed for spearheading Punjab’s anti-drug blitz ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, plummeted from grace on October 16 when CBI sleuths nabbed him red-handed in his Mohali chamber, accepting Rs 5 lakh from Mandi Gobindgarh scrap baron Akash Batta. The trap stemmed from Batta’s explosive complaint: Bhullar allegedly demanded a whopping Rs 5 lakh monthly “sewa-paani” (protection money) to bury a 2023 forgery case against him, threatening fabricated charges if unpaid. Krishanu Sharda, Bhullar’s middleman, was also apprehended, tightening the grip.
The initial raid revealed a scene of unbridled greed. Rs 7.5 crore in crumpled notes stuffed in beds and bags, 2.5 kg of gold bars, 26 luxury timepieces worth lakhs, 108 bottles of premium foreign liquor, Mercedes and Audi keys, a revolver with ammo, and deeds to over 50 shadowy properties — some linked to his ex-DGP father, Mehal Singh Bhullar. Four bank lockers, including one at ICICI, now beckon CBI’s gaze, while five fellow IPS officers simmer under scrutiny, and the Enforcement Directorate eyes 71 benami assets. Bhullar’s staff face summons, and a separate Excise Act FIR looms over the liquor stash at his farmhouse in Samrala.
Suspended since October 18 and remanded to 14-day judicial custody, Bhullar’s empire crumbles amid whispers of non-cooperation — allegedly wiping CCTV footage.
As officers emerge hours later with sealed boxes, Punjab reels: How deep does this betrayal run in the force meant to protect it? The probe intensifies, promising more bombshells in India’s fiercest anti-graft showdown.