The corruption case involving former Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar has taken a dramatic turn, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) now locked in a legal tug-of-war over his remand and investigation rights. What began as a bribery probe has escalated into a rare CBI-versus-Vigilance confrontation, with both agencies asserting authority in overlapping corruption cases.
Bhullar, who was arrested by the CBI on October 16 for allegedly accepting a Rs 8 lakh bribe through a middleman, was produced before a Chandigarh CBI court on Saturday. The CBI sought his remand, arguing it needed more time to collect evidence and trace money trails linked to the bribery and disproportionate assets. However, his lawyers, opposed the move, calling the CBI’s production warrant “illegal” and insisting that Punjab Vigilance had already filed a disproportionate assets case against him.
However, the court after hearing pleas of both sides, granted five-day remand of suspended DIG to CBI for further questioning.
Adding to the intrigue, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau also filed an application before the Mohali court seeking Bhullar’s production warrant to question him in the assets case. The court has scheduled the matter for hearing on Monday and has asked the CBI to respond. This development effectively places two premier investigating agencies at odds, both pursuing parallel lines of inquiry into the same officer.
In court, Bhullar’s counsel argued that the Vigilance Bureau should be given priority since its petition was filed earlier. “The CBI has no jurisdiction to arrest him from Mohali and take custody when the matter already lies with Punjab Vigilance,” the defence stated. The CBI countered, saying Vigilance’s case pertains only to disproportionate assets, while its own probe centers on bribery and corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act. “If Vigilance wants to question him, they can do so anytime,” the CBI counsel said.
During Saturday’s appearance, Bhullar’s daughter was present in court. The former DIG briefly spoke to her before being escorted back to judicial custody.
According to CBI documents, the investigation has revealed assets far exceeding Bhullar’s declared income. Searches at his Sector 40-B Chandigarh residence on October 16 and 17 led to the recovery of Rs 7.5 crore in cash, gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 2.5 crore, over 20 luxury watches, and ownership papers for multiple properties — including two houses in Chandigarh and about 150 acres of land spread across Mohali, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana. Several high-end vehicles, including a Mercedes, Audi, and Fortuner, were also seized.
The CBI claims Bhullar’s declared annual income of Rs 45.95 lakh, including his salary and other known sources, cannot justify his amassed wealth worth several crores. Bhullar’s counsel, however, maintains that the properties in question are ancestral and predate his service years.
Meanwhile, sources close to the development suggest the VB’s sudden intervention may be an attempt to shield the former officer or offer him a “safe zone” amid tightening CBI scrutiny.