In one of the most startling corruption cases in recent years, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed massive wealth from the residence of senior Punjab police officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar, exposing years of alleged illegal accumulation of assets.
Following a complaint from a scrap dealer alleging a bribe demand of ₹8 lakh, the CBI arrested Bhullar on Thursday along with a middleman who was acting on his behalf. The subsequent raid at his Chandigarh home revealed shocking findings — ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kg of gold jewellery, 26 luxury watches from brands such as Rolex and Rado, 40 litres of imported liquor, and four firearms with over 100 live cartridges.
Officials also seized documents related to over 50 immovable properties, allegedly held in the names of Bhullar’s family members and suspected benami entities, along with locker keys and details of multiple bank accounts.
Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer, is the son of former Punjab DGP Mahal Singh Bhullar. His brother, Kuldeep Singh Bhullar, is a Congress worker.
During his career, Bhullar served as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in multiple districts — including Mohali, Sangrur, Khanna, Hoshiarpur, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Gurdaspur — and as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Patiala Range before taking charge of the Ropar Range in November 2024. He also served as Joint Director of the Vigilance Bureau in the previous government and headed the Gatka Association and Gatka Federation of India.
In 2021, Bhullar led a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing a high-profile drug trafficking case involving Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, and played a key role in the Punjab government’s anti-drug campaign, “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh.”
The CBI is now investigating the full scope of Bhullar’s assets and possible links to illicit income sources. Sources indicate that the case could expand to include several associates and entities connected to his financial dealings.
