Punjab: CBI conducts raid at suspended DIG Bhullar’s farmhouse
According to officials familiar with the development, the search began early in the morning and continued till late evening
Ludhiana
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted a day-long raid at the 55-acre farmhouse of suspended deputy inspector general (Ropar range) Harcharan Singh Bhullar at Mand Sherian village, near Machhiwara in Ludhiana, as part of its probe into a bribery and corruption case against the officer.
According to officials familiar with the development, the search began early in the morning and continued till late evening, during which CBI officials thoroughly examined the property, inspected each room and scrutinised documents. Some locks were reportedly broken during the operation.
The raid follows earlier searches at Bhullar’s Chandigarh residence and other locations, where investigators recovered property papers, large amounts of cash, and valuables. The agency is now verifying documents and assessing the scale of his alleged disproportionate assets.
A team of 7to 10 officials led by CBI officer Sanjeev Kumar, supervised the operation. “A search was conducted today at the 55-acre farmland and farmhouse belonging to suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar,” Kumar said.
Local residents said Bhullar purchased the land about five to six years ago and occasionally visited to oversee agricultural activities.
Bhullar was arrested by the CBI on October 16 for allegedly demanding a ₹8-lakh bribe from a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh. The Punjab government suspended him on October 18 under the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules. Earlier CBI raids had led to the seizure of ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kg of gold, 26 luxury watches, and papers linked to over 50 properties.
In a separate case, the Samrala police registered an FIR against Bhullar for allegedly storing liquor illegally at his Virasaat Locations Mahal Farm near village Bondli, Samrala. The FIR stated that the CBI recovered 108 bottles of liquor worth ₹2.89 lakh and 17 live bullets from the property.
On Thursday, the CBI carried out a second round of searches at Bhullar’s residence at Sector 40 in Chandigarh to collect additional evidence linked to the ongoing probe.
Officials said the CBI is preparing a detailed inventory and valuation report of all household items as part of the property assessment exercise. Investigators also searched for CCTV camera footage from the house.
