Harcharan Singh Bhullar, arrested by the CBI in a bribery case, has been suspended as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Punjab (Ropar Range).
Bhullar was arrested along with another person on Thursday in connection with a corruption case involving bribery ₹8 lakhs.
Harcharan Singh Bhullar suspended
According to a Punjab government order issued on Saturday under rule 3(2) of the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, “a member of the service who is detained in official custody, whether on charges of an offense or otherwise for a period exceeding forty-eight hours, shall be deemed to have been suspended by the Government concerned under this rule”.
“As per the said rule, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, IPS is hereby deemed to be suspended with effect from 16.10.2025 as 48 hours have elapsed since his arrest,” the order said.
Bhullar was booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
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What did the CBI find?
During searches at his residence, the CBI seized ₹7.50 lakh in cash and 2.50 kg of gold jewellery.
It also seized 26 luxury watches, including brands such as Rolex and Rado, documents relating to more than 50 properties held in the names of family members and suspected Benami entities, locker keys and details of several bank accounts, four firearms and 100 live rounds.
CBI sleuths recovered 108 bottles of liquor from Bhullar’s farmhouse in Samral, ₹15.70 lakhs in cash and 17 live rounds.
A middleman identified as Kirshanu was also arrested and recovered by CBI sleuths ₹21 million from him.
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What did the FIR say against him?
Harcharan Singh Bhullar was detained from his office in Mohali following a complaint filed by a Fatehgarh Sahib-based scrap dealer who accused a senior IPS officer of demanding recurring monthly payments against him for “settlement” of the 2023 FIR.
According to the FIR filed by the CBI, complainant Akash Batta alleged that DIG Bhullar, through his intermediary, demanded illegal gratification for settling the 2023 FIR registered in Sirhind against him and for ensuring that no further coercive or adverse police action was taken against his scrap business.
The complainant further alleged that Bhullar demanded recurring monthly payments, referred to as ‘sewa-paani’, and threatened to falsely implicate him in business cases if he failed to comply.
Verification of the complaint revealed that Bhullar through his intermediary had demanded ₹8 lakh from Batta to “settle” the FIR and ensure no further police action against his scrap business, according to the FIR registered by the CBI.
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Who is Harcharan Singh Bhullar?
Harcharan Singh Bhullar is the son of former Director General of Punjab Police MS Bhullar.
He was appointed DIG (Ropar Range) in November 2024. The Ropar range includes the districts of Mohali, Rupnagar and Fatehgarh Sahib.
