CBI’s 21-hour search unearths Rs 7.5 crore cash, gold and luxury assets
High-profile graft case exposes deep-rooted rot in policing system; officer denies charges in court
Chandigarh, October 18, 2025 (Bharat Khabarnama Bureau) – In one of Punjab’s most sensational corruption scandals in recent memory, the Punjab Government has suspended senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Harcharan Singh Bhullar, currently serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Ropar Range, following his arrest and his conduit Krishaun, a private individual from Nabha, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an Rs 8 lakh bribery case that led to explosive recoveries of unaccounted wealth during subsequent searches.
The Punjab Home Department, acting under the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, issued the suspension order on Saturday October 18, 2025 through the Additional Chief Secretary (Home Affairs), immediately relieving Bhullar of his duties. The decision came in the wake of the CBI’s registration of an FIR, his arrest and his subsequent 14-day judicial custody by the Mohali court on Friday.
CBI searched for 21 hours
CBI sources disclosed that the agency’s search operation at Bhullar’s Chandigarh residence lasted nearly 21 hours, uncovering staggering amounts of illicit cash, gold, property documents and luxury items that painted a picture of opulence far beyond his official means.
Investigators recovered approximately Rs 7.5 crore in cash from Bhullar’s Sector-40 residence in Chandigarh. The cash was meticulously concealed in at least five different spots including under beds, inside crockery cabinets and in two locked wardrobes where he had also hidden around 2.5 kilograms of gold ornaments. The money, mostly in Rs 500 notes, was so voluminous that tables proved insufficient, forcing officials to lay mats on the floor to count the bundles. The CBI had to requisition three note-counting machines to handle the enormous recovery.
Bhullar’s residence a fortress of wealth
Officials described Bhullar’s residence as a “fortress of wealth,” with Rolex and Rado watches worth between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh each, bank locker keys and property documents for around 50 immovable assets found during the raid. The officer’s monthly salary was approximately Rs 2.64 lakh, but the scale of luxury uncovered including 40 liters of imported liquor, gold and high-end vehicles (Mercedes and Audi), reflected a lifestyle far exceeding legitimate income sources.
The CBI teams also conducted a coordinated search at Bhullar’s farmhouse in Samrala, Ludhiana, where they recovered 108 bottles of expensive imported liquor, several priced above Rs 50,000 each. The farmhouse, officials said, was stocked with 108 bottles of premium alcohol, suggesting the officer’s indulgent tastes.
A senior CBI officer said the operation was one of the most extensive searches conducted in recent years in Punjab, adding that the evidence indicates “large-scale misuse of position, habitual acceptance of illegal gratification, and possession of disproportionate assets.”
Bhullar denied all allegations
Meanwhile, DIG Bhullar, while being produced before the CBI Court in Chandigarh, denied all allegations, claiming he was being falsely implicated. “All charges are baseless. I will prove my innocence in court. I never handled the case they are talking about and why would I demand anything?” he told reporters outside the courtroom.
The Punjab Government, taking serious note of the case, has directed the state Vigilance Bureau and Home Department to submit detailed reports on Bhullar’s conduct, sources of assets, and possible nexus with intermediaries. The government is also examining whether other officials were complicit in facilitating his financial dealings.
A senior state official said the suspension was a “necessary disciplinary measure” intended to uphold transparency and prevent any interference in the CBI’s ongoing investigation.
The case, which began with a relatively small Rs 8 lakh bribe demand, has now spiraled into a multi-crore corruption scandal, shaking the foundations of Punjab’s police administration and exposing systemic vulnerabilities in accountability and oversight.
Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer with previous stints in intelligence, vigilance bureau, district police chief and field operations, now stands as the central figure in a case that may redefine how the state deals with high-level corruption within its own law enforcement hierarchy.
