In a decisive move against corruption, the Punjab government has suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar after his arrest on bribery charges. The home department's order on Saturday stated that his suspension would come into effect 48 hours after his arrest, in accordance with All India Services rules 3(2).
According to a report by Punjab's Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, IPS (DIG Ropar Range), was arrested by the CBI on October 16, 2025, under sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. This CBI action was prompted by the complaint of a scrap dealer from Fatehgarh Sahib, Akash Bhutta, who alleged that the IPS officer demanded a bribe of 800,000 rupees to dismiss an old case against him.
The investigative agency took Bhullar into custody from his office in Mohali on Thursday.
Source: aajtak
Following this, a raid on Bhullar's Chandigarh residence uncovered 75 million rupees in cash, 2.5 kilograms of gold, 26 luxury watches, foreign liquor, and weapons. The Home department's order stated that Bhullar's suspension is retroactively effective from October 16, 2025.
The order further clarifies: “Any officer detained for over 48 hours on criminal charges, or for any reason, is deemed suspended.” The directive bears the signature of Punjab's Home Department's Additional Chief Secretary, Alok Shekhar (IAS).
The CBI's search of Bhullar's lavish home in Chandigarh's Sector-40 and his farmhouse in Samrala unearthed piles of cash and luxury items. The farmhouse raid yielded 1.57 million rupees in cash, 108 bottles of liquor, and 17 rounds of live ammunition. During the Thursday night search, 50 million rupees in cash was found.
By Friday, the seized amount had grown to 75 million rupees. The CBI reported luxury car keys, locker keys, and documents of real estate in the names of family members and suspected entities, all of which will undergo forensic examination.
The CBI also apprehended an intermediary working with Bhullar, recovering 2.1 million rupees in cash. The investigation agency claims the intermediary was tasked with collecting money from Akash Bhatta, who was paying to have his business unobstructed while Bhullar demanded monthly bribes to keep the case closed.
