Punjab DIG Harcharan Bhullar Held in ₹5 Lakh Bribe Sting, Tarnishing His Anti-Crime Reputation
Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar arrested by CBI for accepting ₹5 lakh bribe, shocking the state.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, a 2007-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mohali for allegedly accepting a ₹5 lakh bribe. The sting operation, triggered by a complaint from a Fatehgarh Sahib scrap dealer, exposed Bhullar’s alleged extortion scheme, demanding monthly payments to shield an illegal car business involving tampered chassis numbers. The arrest, which also implicated a private individual and prompted searches at Bhullar’s residences and office, has stunned Punjab’s police fraternity, where he was once lauded for his integrity.
Bhullar, currently DIG of the Ropar Range, built a reputation for combating the drug mafia, organized crime, and corruption, notably leading a Special Investigation Team against a high-profile drug smuggling case. Promoted from the Punjab Police Service to the IPS, his career was marked by a disciplined approach, making the bribery allegations a jarring contradiction. His fall from grace has sparked questions about accountability mechanisms within Punjab’s policing system.
Hailing from a prominent family, Bhullar is the son of former Punjab Director General of Police Mehal Singh Bhullar, renowned for anti-terrorism efforts in the 1980s and 1990s, and brother to former Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Bhullar. This influential lineage has intensified public scrutiny of the case. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government, through spokesperson Baltej Pannu, has pledged a transparent investigation, emphasizing a zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
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As Bhullar awaits a CBI court appearance in Chandigarh, the ongoing probe into his alleged bribery network threatens to unravel further details. The case not only casts a shadow over his once-stellar career but also challenges Punjab’s anti-corruption framework, drawing widespread attention to the state’s commitment to upholding integrity in public service.
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