Punjab News: Suspended For Graft, DIG Bhullar Also Booked Under Excise Act

Chandigarh: Deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Ropar range, Punjab, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who was caught red-handed for accepting Rs 8 lakh bribe on Thursday, has now been booked under Excise Act after recovery of 108 foreign liquor bottles from his farmhouse in a village near Samrala town.

It may be recalled that a CBI court in Chandigarh had sent DIG Bhullar to 14-day judicial custody on Friday after he was arrested along with a middleman, Kirshanu Sharda, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 8 lakh from a Mandi Gobindgarh-based scrap dealer to settle a 2023 case.

Bhullar, who is son of former Punjab DGP Mehal Singh Bhullar, had joined Ropar range as DIG in November, last year, while he was posted as Patiala range DIG prior to that and was actively involved in the state government’s ``war against drugs’’ campaign in Ropar range.

A 2007-batch IPS officer, Bhullar, had held several key positions in the state and also headed the special investigation team (SIT) which questioned Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia in an ongoing drug smuggling case.

Meanwhile, even as the cash recovery from Bhullar touched Rs 7.50 crore from his residence, there were said to be three currency-counting machines still processing remaining cash. It may be recalled that CBI had already reportedly seized a huge cache of around 2.5 kg gold, 2 luxury cars, imported liquor, luxury watches of brands such as Rolex and Rado, a double-barrel gun, a pistol, a revolver, an airgun and about 100 live cartridges, besides documents of at least 50 several properties in Punjab.