Chandigarh court grants eight days of ED custody as investigators seek to trace alleged proceeds of corruption
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested suspended Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General Harcharan Singh Bhullar on Friday, October 9, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to an alleged bribery case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last year.
The arrest follows an investigation initiated by the ED on November 6, 2025, after the CBI apprehended Bhullar on October 16, 2025, over allegations of corruption and criminal conspiracy.
The original case was registered following a complaint filed by Akash Batta, who alleged that Bhullar, then serving as DIG of the Ropar Range in Punjab Police, had demanded illegal payments through a private intermediary, Krishanu Sharda.
According to the complaint, the alleged bribe was sought in exchange for favourable treatment in a criminal case registered at the Sirhind police station. Batta also claimed that the payment was intended to ensure that authorities would not take coercive action against his business.
Acting on the allegations, the CBI organized a trap operation on October 16, 2025, during which Sharda was allegedly caught accepting ₹5 lakh from the complainant as part of the demanded payment.
Bhullar was subsequently arrested on the same day, with investigators examining his alleged involvement in the bribery arrangement.
The CBI registered the case under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to criminal conspiracy, along with Sections 7 and 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Following the corruption investigation, the ED initiated separate proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to examine the suspected financial transactions associated with the alleged offence.
During Friday’s proceedings before a special court in Chandigarh, the ED sought 14 days of custodial interrogation, arguing that further questioning was necessary to establish the complete movement of funds and identify any additional individuals connected to the alleged money laundering activities.
The agency’s special public prosecutor submitted that investigators needed to confront Bhullar with financial documents, transaction records and witness statements collected during the investigation.
The ED maintained that custodial questioning would assist investigators in identifying the broader financial network and determining whether proceeds from the alleged corruption had been transferred or concealed.
However, Bhullar’s legal representatives, advocates SPS Bhullar and Karanjit Singh, strongly opposed the request for additional custody.
The defence argued that the remand application was unjustified, particularly because the original corruption proceedings had already advanced to the stage of cross-examination of the complainant.
Advocate SPS Bhullar contended that the ED’s application could interfere with his client’s constitutional right to a fair trial.
He further submitted that the investigating agencies already possessed the relevant documentary evidence and had repeatedly questioned members of Bhullar’s family during the course of the investigation.
According to the defence, these circumstances eliminated the need for further custodial interrogation.
The lawyers also questioned the timing of the ED’s arrest and remand application, arguing that the agency had not demonstrated sufficient grounds for seeking Bhullar’s custody at this stage of the proceedings.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the special PMLA court granted the Enforcement Directorate eight days of custody for further interrogation, rather than the 14 days initially requested.
The order allows investigators to question the suspended police officer regarding the suspected financial transactions and other evidence collected in the money laundering investigation.
The case remains under investigation, and the allegations against Bhullar have not been established by a final court judgment.
The latest arrest marks a further development in the legal proceedings against the suspended senior Punjab Police officer, with the ED now focusing on tracing the alleged proceeds of corruption and examining the financial circumstances surrounding the original bribery complaint.
