Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar, overseeing the Ropar Range, was suspended on October 18, 2025, following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a bribery case involving Rs 8 lakh. The suspension, invoked under Rule 3(2) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules due to custody exceeding 48 hours, came after Bhullar and middleman Kirshanu Sharda were apprehended on October 16.

A CBI court in Chandigarh remanded Bhullar to 14 days' judicial custody until October 30, rejecting agency pleas for further interrogation. The case stems from a complaint by Akash Batta, a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib, alleging Bhullar demanded the bribe via Sharda to "settle" FIR No. 155/2023 at Sirhind police station for cheating and forgery involving fake bills, plus monthly "sewa-paani" payments to shield his business from coercion.

CBI verification included a recorded WhatsApp call on October 11 where Bhullar instructed Sharda to collect the Rs 8 lakh, leading to a trap operation. Sharda was caught red-handed accepting the amount in Chandigarh's Sector 21, with a follow-up call confirming Bhullar's involvement before his Mohali office arrest. Charges under Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita highlight demands for undue advantage. Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer and son of former Punjab DGP M.S. Bhullar, previously led anti-drug campaigns and probed Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, adding irony to the graft allegations.

Raids at Bhullar's Sector 40 residence in Chandigarh, Mohali office, Samrala farmhouse, and linked sites yielded Rs 7.50 crore cash, 2.50 kg gold jewellery, 26 luxury watches (Rolex, Rado), property documents for over 50 assets (some benami), locker keys, multiple bank details, four firearms with 100 cartridges, luxury car keys (Audi, Mercedes, BMW), and 108 liquor bottles plus Rs 15.70 lakh from the farmhouse. An additional Rs 21 lakh was seized from Sharda. These recoveries suggest disproportionate assets, prompting deeper probes into money laundering.

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The scandal underscores persistent corruption challenges in Punjab Police, despite anti-graft drives, eroding public trust amid rising narcotics and organised crime. Bhullar denies framing, claiming judicial vindication, while CBI continues investigations without local police involvement for impartiality. The Punjab government vows zero tolerance, but critics demand systemic reforms like vigilance enhancements.

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