Suspended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Punjab Police, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, has once again moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking regular bail in a corruption case registered against him in October last year.
Supreme Court's Liberty
Bhullar filed the application two months after the Supreme Court granted him the liberty to approach the High Court if the trial did not commence within two months. In an order pronounced on April 10, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, stated, “While we are not inclined towards entertaining the prayer for bail at this stage, we grant liberty to the petitioner that in case the trial does not commence within two months, he may again approach the High Court for grant of bail. Such an application shall be considered by the High Court on merits. With liberty aforesaid, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed.”
Background of the Case
Bhullar had earlier approached the apex court challenging the High Court's February 16 order, which had rejected his bail application. The senior advocate appearing for the accused contended that the investigation had already concluded and both the primary and supplementary charge sheets had been filed. In such a situation, continued detention served no purpose, especially as the accused was under suspension and posed no risk of absconding.
Before the High Court, Bhullar maintained that most of the witnesses were official in nature and argued that his suspension ruled out any possibility of influencing them or tampering with evidence.
Details of the Alleged Offence
Bhullar's alleged aide, Krishanu Sharda, was apprehended while allegedly accepting Rs 5,00,000 as part of the demanded bribe from the complainant on October 16, 2025. Bhullar was arrested on the same day, and the charge sheet under Section 193 of the BNSS was filed on December 3, 2025.
The FIR in the case was registered on the complaint of a person named Akash Batta, who alleged that Bhullar, then posted as DIG, Ropar Range, Punjab Police, had demanded illegal gratification through a private intermediary, Krishanu Sharda, for securing favourable treatment in an FIR registered at the Sirhind police station and for ensuring that no coercive steps were taken against the business of the complainant.
Recent Court Proceedings
During the last hearing on June 6, the special CBI court in Chandigarh, while dismissing an application of Bhullar for declaring the prosecution sanction given against him by the Ministry of Home Affairs invalid, adjourned the hearing for July 2 for arguments on the charges.
