Chandigarh, October 31 — The judicial custody of suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, accused in a bribery case, was extended by 14 more days by a CBI court in Chandigarh on Friday. Bhullar appeared before the court via video conference from Burail jail after the expiry of his earlier custody.
Since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did not seek his remand, the court ordered that Bhullar remain in judicial custody until November 14, 2025. He was arrested along with middleman Krishanu Sharda on October 16 in connection with an alleged demand of ₹8 lakh from a scrap dealer to settle a police case.
According to the FIR, Bhullar allegedly demanded recurring monthly illegal payments through Sharda from the complainant, identified as Mandi Gobindgarh-based scrap dealer Naresh Batta. The bribe was allegedly meant to “settle” an FIR registered in 2023 at the Sirhind police station and ensure that no further coercive action was taken against Batta.
Officials said Sharda was caught red-handed in Chandigarh’s Sector 21 while accepting ₹5 lakh on behalf of Bhullar. Both men were taken into custody following the trap. “The investigation is still ongoing to uncover the full extent of the alleged payment network,” said a CBI official familiar with the case.
Earlier, the court had remanded Sharda to nine days of CBI custody to trace the flow of money and identify possible beneficiaries. The agency has been analysing digital and documentary evidence and extracting data from seized devices to determine whether other officials or private persons were involved in similar transactions.
The CBI maintained that further inquiry is in progress and more arrests could follow based on the findings.
