CHANDIGARH: A local court on Friday granted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) five-day police remand of Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a high-profile corruption case that has shaken the state police. Bhullar, arrested last week for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes, will remain in CBI custody till November 6 for further questioning.
The decision came amid a jurisdictional tussle between the CBI and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), which is also probing Bhullar in a separate disproportionate assets (DA) case. The VB had sought police custody of the officer, but the CBI opposed the plea, arguing that Bhullar was already under its lawful custody and that dual custody was not permissible. The court issued notice to the CBI on the VB’s application and scheduled the next hearing for Monday.
Bhullar, a 2007-batch IPS officer and former DIG of Ropar Range, was arrested during a CBI trap operation for allegedly accepting bribes through a middleman. Searches at his residences led to the seizure of over ₹7 crore in cash, gold and silver worth ₹2 crore, and luxury vehicles. Following his arrest, the Punjab government suspended him from service as the corruption probe continues to widen.