Samrala, Oct 19: Suspended Ropar Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar has been booked under the Excise Act after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) seized 108 bottles of liquor from his farmhouse in Bondli village, Samrala. The Samrala police registered the case on Saturday under the Khanna police district, officials confirmed.
According to Samrala Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tarlochan Singh, the FIR was lodged on the basis of a statement given by CBI Inspector Romipal. The case has been registered under Sections 61, 1, and 14 of the Excise Act — provisions that deal with unlawful possession or transport of intoxicants and grant officers powers to summon individuals for evidence in related proceedings.
Police said the CBI team, during its search operation at Bhullar’s Bondli farmhouse, also found 17 bullets. However, no charges under the Arms Act were added to the FIR as verification was still underway to determine whether the ammunition belonged to a licensed weapon.
Sources said that after the recovery, the seized liquor was formally handed over by the CBI to Excise Inspectors Vijay Kumar and Major Singh in the presence of Samrala police officials on Saturday.
The farmhouse search was part of a larger CBI operation at multiple locations linked to Bhullar. During earlier raids at his residence, the agency had recovered ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kilograms of gold jewellery, and 26 luxury watches, including brands such as Rolex and Rado.
Investigators also seized documents pertaining to over 50 immovable properties held in the names of Bhullar’s family members and suspected benami entities. Additionally, the CBI recovered locker keys, details of several bank accounts, four firearms, and around 100 live cartridges during the searches.
Police officials said further action would depend on verification reports from the Excise Department and forensic examination of the recovered ammunition. The case adds another layer to the widening probe into alleged corruption and disproportionate assets involving the suspended senior officer.
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