The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) strongly opposed an application filed by the counsel for suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, seeking preservation of call detail records (CDRs), mobile tower locations of two CBI officials, and CCTV footage relevant to his arrest, in a special CBI court in Chandigarh on Monday.
While countering the demand for the CDRs and mobile tower locations of CBI inspector Sonal Mishra and DSP Kuldeep Singh, the CBI cited a three-year-old Delhi high court judgment, “Krishan Pawdia v/s the state, NCT of Delhi”. The agency argued that specialised agencies handle sensitive matters like drug trafficking and organised crime. Disclosing mobile communications, the CBI contended, could compromise the confidentiality and security of the investigating team by revealing the identities of secret informers and endangering officer safety.
The CBI public prosecutor asserted that the confidentiality and security of its team are paramount and argued that the defence provided no valid reason to link these records to the bribery case. The CBI requested the court to dismiss the application.
The CBI also opposed the defence’s request for directions to the police command control centre (PCCC) and the offices of Chandigarh SSP and Mohali SSP to preserve CCTV footage of traffic lights on the route from the Mohali DC office to the Chandigarh CBI office in Sector 30, covering the period from October 1 to October 17.
{{/usCountry}}The CBI also opposed the defence’s request for directions to the police command control centre (PCCC) and the offices of Chandigarh SSP and Mohali SSP to preserve CCTV footage of traffic lights on the route from the Mohali DC office to the Chandigarh CBI office in Sector 30, covering the period from October 1 to October 17.
{{/usCountry}}Bhullar’s counsel SPS Bhullar argued that the former DIG’s arrest was ‘illegal’ and a ‘deep-rooted conspiracy,’ and that the requested information is crucial for the defence of the accused. The defence counsel was provided with a copy of the CBI’s reply.
In compliance with a court order, the defence submitted the particulars of the service providers for the two mobile phones whose records are sought to be preserved, which the court accepted. Arguments on this entire application will be heard on December 10.
Five bank accounts de-freezed
In a separate development, the CBI court ordered the de-freezing of five bank accounts belonging to suspended DIG Bhullar and his family, as the CBI raised no objection. The five accounts included two joint accounts of Bhullar and his wife, Tejinder Kaur Bhullar. One account was in the name of his father MS Bhullar (DGP, retired). The remaining two were in the name of his son Gurpratap Singh Bhullar and a joint account in the name of his son and daughter-in-law Charupreet Kaur Lamba. The application regarding the remaining three bank accounts will be considered on December 18, following a request made by the CBI public prosecutor. The CBI had earlier filed a 300-page chargesheet in this case, in which Bhullar and his aide Kirshanu Sharda were arrested on October 16 following a complaint from a Fatehgarh Sahib-based scrap dealer. The case is fixed for December 10 for awaiting the ahlmad’s report. The CBI has also registered a disproportionate assets (DA) case against Bhullar.