IPS officer arrested for accepting bribe, ₹5 crore cash and luxury assets recovered

October 17, 2025 by News Desk

A senior Indian Police Service officer, DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in a corruption case after massive recoveries from his residences in Punjab.

Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer currently posted as Deputy Inspector General Ropar Range, was taken into custody along with his alleged middleman, Krishna, for demanding and accepting bribes to settle a criminal case.

The investigation began after a businessman from Fatehgarh Sahib filed a complaint accusing Bhullar of demanding an initial ₹8 lakh bribe followed by monthly payments.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap in Chandigarh’s Sector 21, where Krishna was caught accepting ₹8 lakh on the officer’s behalf.

A controlled call was later arranged between the complainant and Bhullar, during which the officer allegedly confirmed the payment.

Following the arrests, CBI officials conducted extensive searches at Bhullar’s residences in Mohali, Ropar, and Chandigarh.

The searches led to the recovery of ₹5 crore in cash, about 1.5 kilograms of gold jewellery, documents relating to several properties across Punjab, two luxury cars including a Mercedes and an Audi, 22 high-end watches, firearms, ammunition, and imported liquor.

Officials said both Bhullar and Krishna were produced before a court on Friday and further investigations are underway to determine the extent of their assets and possible money laundering links.

Bhullar has served in several key positions including DIG Patiala Range, Joint Director of the Vigilance Bureau, and Senior Superintendent of Police in Mohali, Sangrur, Khanna, Hoshiarpur, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Gurdaspur.

He also led the Special Investigation Team that probed a high-profile drug trafficking case against Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia and was part of the Punjab government’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nasheyan Virudh. Bhullar is the son of former Punjab Director General of Police MS Bhullar.

Officials said the case has also opened a wider inquiry into disproportionate assets amassed during his service and potential misuse of authority during his tenure in key law enforcement roles.