Former Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, arrested in a bribery case, will be produced before a CBI court on Thursday as his five-day remand concludes. The high-profile investigation, which has already revealed names of 10 IPS and four IAS officers allegedly linked to the case, has now sparked a jurisdictional tussle between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB).
During Bhullar’s interrogation, sources said, the CBI extracted crucial information suggesting that several senior Punjab officials may have been involved in channeling unaccounted wealth through a Patiala-based property dealer, Bhupinder Singh. Acting on these leads, CBI sleuths raided Bhupinder’s residence on Tuesday, recovering Rs 20.5 lakh in cash, several incriminating documents, and electronic devices. Investigators also uncovered digital chats hinting at attempts to influence judicial proceedings, sources added.
Bhupinder Singh, believed to be the key conduit for laundering the officers’ alleged ill-gotten money, is also being closely tracked by the CBI. His phone records and bank accounts are being examined to map financial transactions and identify frequent contacts among bureaucrats and police officers. Officials say the agency is now in the process of consolidating evidence before summoning the 14 officers named during questioning.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau is reportedly preparing to move court for Bhullar’s production warrant. Although the VB had earlier filed a disproportionate assets case against him, it was unable to secure his custody while the CBI took the lead in the bribery probe. The Vigilance team now plans to seek his remand after the CBI’s custody ends, potentially setting the stage for another round of inter-agency confrontation.
Adding another layer to the case, the CBI has also summoned DSP Kuldeep Singh for questioning, after learning that he allegedly met middleman Krishanu Sharda—another accused in the bribery network—while Sharda was lodged in Burail jail.
As per sources, both central and state agencies as of now, appear to be vying for control over the investigation, with Bhullar at the center of what could be one of Punjab’s most expansive corruption probes in recent years.