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CBI conducts 2nd round of searches at suspended Punjab DIG Bhullar’s house
Around 2.30 pm, a team of 11 CBI officials arrived at Bhullar’s residence in Sector 40, armed with documents, a camera, and a printer. The search, which continued for several hours in the presence of family members, was videographed in its entirety.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out a second round of searches at the residence of suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who was arrested last week in a bribery case. The operation, conducted under a fresh search warrant, aimed at collecting additional evidence linked to the ongoing probe.
Around 2.30 pm, a team of 11 CBI officials arrived at Bhullar’s residence in Sector 40, armed with documents, a camera, and a printer. The search, which continued for several hours in the presence of family members, was videographed in its entirety. Officials examined each room of the multi-storey house from the ground floor to the second floor, measuring and documenting every item, from furniture to light fixtures.
According to sources, the team 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.
The latest raid follows the CBI’s earlier operation during which they opened Bhullar’s bank locker and recovered valuable documents. In the first round of searches, the agency had seized ₹7.5 crore in cash, gold jewellery weighing 2.5 kg, 26 luxury watches — including Rolex and Rado — and documents pertaining to over 50 immovable properties reportedly held in the names of family members and suspected benami entities.
The agency also found locker keys, details of multiple bank accounts, and four licensed firearms along with 100 live cartridges during the search. Since his arrest, the CBI has opened several of Bhullar’s bank lockers as part of the probe into disproportionate assets.
Bhullar was arrested on October 16 from his Mohali office after a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh lodged a complaint alleging that the officer had demanded ₹8 lakh as “sewa-paani” (illegal gratification) to “settle” a 2023 FIR against him. The complainant, Akash Batta, claimed Bhullar had been seeking monthly payments and had threatened false implication in criminal cases in case of refusal.
A middleman, identified as Kirshanu, was also arrested, and ₹21 lakh was recovered from his possession.
Bhullar, who was appointed DIG (Ropar Range) in November 2024 — overseeing Mohali, Rupnagar, and Fatehgarh Sahib districts — was suspended by the Punjab government following his arrest. He is the son of former Punjab director general of police MS Bhullar.
