Punjab and Haryana High Court denies bail to suspended Punjab DIG Bhullar in corruption case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court Monday dismissed the regular bail application of suspended Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who has been in judicial custody since his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a high-profile bribery case.

Bhullar, arrested on October 16, 2025, from his office in Mohali, is accused of accepting bribes through intermediaries. Raids on his premises reportedly yielded over Rs 7 crore in cash along with other valuables. A separate disproportionate assets case is also under investigation by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

The suspended officer approached the high court on January 9, after a special CBI court in Chandigarh rejected his bail plea on January 2. In his petition, Bhullar argued that the CBI had completed its investigation and filed the final chargesheet on December 3, 2025, eliminating the need for further custodial interrogation. He emphasised that most prosecution witnesses are official personnel or the protected complainant, reducing any risk of tampering, and noted that no bribe money was directly recovered from him.