In a major development on Friday night, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) executed the arrest of suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a fresh disproportionate assets (DA) case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The action was carried out inside Burail Jail, Chandigarh, where Bhullar has been lodged in judicial custody in connection with a separate bribery case being probed by the CBI.
According to an official document in possession of The True Scoop, the case — registered as FIR No.26 dated October 29 — has been filed under Sections 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended). It accuses Bhullar of illicit enrichment and possession of assets far beyond his known sources of income during his service tenure.
"The Vigilance Bureau obtained permission from the competent court earlier to interrogate Bhullar inside Burail Jail. During questioning, the suspended officer allegedly did not cooperate with investigators, prompting the executing officer to formally execute his arrest in connection with the new FIR", the document reads.
Sources revealed that the state agency had been gathering material against Bhullar for several weeks, scrutinising property deeds, financial transactions, and luxury assets linked to him and his family. Initial findings suggest that Bhullar’s declared income is far lower than the total value of the assets traced so far, which run into several crores of rupees.
Earlier in the day, Chief Judicial Magistrate Megha Dhaliwal, Mohali, allowed the Vigilance Bureau’s application to question Bhullar in jail. Later that evening, DSP Vishwajit Singh Mann, accompanied by his team, entered Burail Jail to record the officer’s statement. The bureau also clarified that contrary to reports aired by some channels, Bhullar was not being shifted to the VB headquarters in Mohali for interrogation.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the arrest could set the stage for a jurisdictional tussle between the state Vigilance Bureau and the CBI, both of which now have active cases against the same officer. “It’s expected to be a long battle between the two agencies over Bhullar’s custody,” a senior source said.
Political observers, meanwhile, believe the VB’s move may carry a strategic motive. They suggest that the arrest execution and the fresh FIR could pave the way for the state to seek Bhullar’s transfer from Burail Jail — which functions under central supervision — to Ropar Jail, a facility under state control. “That would give the state agency greater control and access during further interrogation,” said a senior political analyst.
Sources further indicated that the Vigilance Bureau is also likely to approach the court soon for permission to question Bhullar’s alleged middleman, Krishanu Sharda, who was earlier arrested by the CBI in the Rs 8-lakh bribery trap case.
"With the fresh DA probe by VB now officially underway, the case has entered a new phase — one that could soon see the CBI and Punjab Vigilance Bureau face off over the high-profile suspended officer", said sources.
