Chandigarh, Feb 17: The prosecution of suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar has moved into its next phase after the Ministry of Home Affairs granted the necessary legal clearances for his trial. The MHA order follows a recommendation from the Central Vigilance Commission, which stated there was sufficient material to establish a prima facie case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The legal blow comes just a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court denied the officer’s request for bail. Bhullar was arrested in October after his associate was caught red-handed accepting a bribe. A subsequent “controlled call” recorded during the operation reportedly captured the officer acknowledging the receipt of the funds and providing further directions, which investigators maintained established his direct involvement.
In its supplementary chargesheet filed Tuesday, the CBI detailed the forensic examination of electronic devices seized during the investigation. Officials stated that a personal diary and digital data recovered from the middleman’s residence suggested the existence of a broader “fixer network” involving various senior bureaucrats and political aides. The agency has urged the court to take cognizance of both the main and supplementary chargesheets to try the accused for organized corruption.
The investigation has also prompted separate FIRs regarding disproportionate assets. Searches at Bhullar’s residences in Chandigarh and Ludhiana yielded 26 luxury watches, five high-end vehicles, and over 100 bottles of liquor, alongside nearly 150 acres of land documents. With the prosecution sanction now in place and the supplementary evidence submitted, the judicial proceedings are expected to accelerate during the upcoming hearing on February 21.
