A day after raiding his residence in Chandigarh, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted an extensive search at the 55-acre farmhouse of Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in Machhiwara, Ludhiana. The raid, which began around 12:30 pm, covered the farmhouse and adjoining agricultural land in Mand Sheria village.
Sources said most belongings from the farmhouse had already been removed before the CBI’s arrival. Investigators are now trying to identify those who managed or occupied the property after Bhullar’s arrest. The CBI is also probing the installation of two transformers allegedly linked to Bhullar’s influence—each connected to different power feeders to ensure a continuous supply at the farmhouse.
Thursday’s raid at Bhullar’s Sector 40 house in Chandigarh lasted nearly nine hours, during which officials videographed every item—from ACs to flower pots—while compiling a detailed inventory and valuation. Family members were questioned for two hours, their responses typed, recorded on video, and sealed after they signed their statements.
DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who draws a basic monthly salary of Rs 2.16 lakh, reportedly owns properties worth over Rs 15 crore across Punjab, including holdings in Jalandhar, Mohali, Ludhiana and Kapurthala. The CBI is investigating the source of his wealth, as he has two years left before retirement.
Bhullar, a direct recruit DSP through the Punjab Public Service Commission, was promoted to IPS in 2007. Over his career, he served in prominent positions under successive state governments—DSP during the Akali Dal era, SP and SSP under Congress, and IG under the Aam Aadmi Party government.
The CBI is now examining assets allegedly acquired over the past six years and has begun opening lockers linked to Bhullar. Though the agency initially did not seek his remand after arresting him on October 16 in a bribery case, it is now expected to take him into custody for further interrogation.
Bhullar and his alleged middleman, Krishanu, are currently in judicial custody until October 31. Investigators plan to confront Bhullar with the statements recorded from his family to trace the complete trail of his assets and alleged illicit earnings.