From Rs. 8 Lakh Bribe to Rs. 5 Crore Haul: CBI Arrests Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar

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Harcharan Singh Bhullar, a Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), was arrested in Punjab in a corruption case. The officer is alleged to have demanded Rs. 8 lakh while on duty.

However, once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) initiated the investigation, it discovered an unexplained wealth of up to Rs. 5 crore. The IPS officer also owned a collection of luxury vehicles, jewellery, and expensive watches.

Corruption Case Involving an IPS Officer 

Harcharan Singh, an IPS officer from the 2009 batch, was arrested along with a middleman identified as Krishna. In one of the intercepted conversations, Krishna said, “The August payment was not paid, the September payment was not paid.” The CBI officers have said that Singh demanded bribes from a local businessman through an intermediary to settle a criminal case. It is reported that the DIG was accepting recurring payments every month.

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The CBI officers began their investigation after a complaint was filed by a local scrap dealer, Akash Batta. He accused the DIG of threatening him to implicate a contrived case if he did not pay Rs. 8 lakh. The scrap dealer further added that this amount was just an initial bribe following similar settlements every month.

The officers caught Krishna red-handed while receiving Rs. 8 lakh from the businessman. Following this arrest, a controlled call was organised between the DIG and Akash Batta, in which the officer confirmed the receipt of the payment and asked him to come to his office. This evidence eventually led to the arrest of DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in Mohali.

Cash, Cars, and Gold Reveal Massive Unexplained Wealth

After the DIG's arrest, the CBI conducted thorough research at multiple premises linked to Harcharan Singh in Mohali, Ropar, and Chandigarh. The CBI officers found Rs. 5 crore cash, 1.5 kg of gold and jewellery, a Mercedes, an Audi, 22 expensive watches, and 40 litres of imported liquor. Additionally, they found a double-barreled shotgun, a pistol, a revolver, and an airgun.

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To sum up, IPS officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar was arrested by the CBI for allegedly demanding bribes from a local businessman. Shortly after the arrest, the officers discovered that the DIG had amassed a huge amount of wealth through illegal means. The incident has raised questions about the high-ranking government officers working all over India.