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ED raids 11 locations in Punjab in money-laundering probe against ex-DIG Bhullar
Searches in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar follow CBI’s recovery of ₹7.5 crore cash and luxury assets from the suspended 2009-batch IPS officer.
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches at 11 locations across Punjab as part of a money-laundering probe against former state police deputy inspector general (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar and entities linked to him, officials said.
They said the premises in Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Patiala, Nabha and Jalandhar linked to the accused, his accomplices and suspected benamidars (the owner in whose name a benami property is held) are being covered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to ED officials, the operation aims to trace the proceeds of crime, identify benami properties, and secure evidence linked to the laundering of funds allegedly acquired through corruption.
The ED’s action is rooted in a predicate case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer, was arrested by the CBI in Mohali on October 11, 2025, while serving as DIG, Ropar range.
The arrest followed a trap laid at his Mohali office after a Mandi Gobindgarh-based scrap dealer alleged that Bhullar was demanding monthly bribes—referred to as ‘sewa-paani’—to settle an FIR and allow his business to operate without harassment. While Bhullar had sought a specific bribe of ₹5 lakh through a middleman, the scope of the investigation widened following subsequent raids on his properties.
Assets under scrutiny
While the initial trap involved a relatively small sum, the CBI’s search of Bhullar’s residence and offices last year yielded a haul of unaccounted wealth, including ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5kg of gold jewellery, 26 luxury watches and high-end vehicles and 15 immovable properties They include a farmhouse in Samrala and land in Khanna.
Following these recoveries, the CBI registered a fresh case of disproportionate assets (DA), alleging that Bhullar had amassed wealth far exceeding his known sources of income.
Monday’s ED searches specifically targeted five sites in Ludhiana, two in Chandigarh, two in Patiala, and one each in Nabha and Jalandhar.
The officials said that these locations are linked not only to the suspended officer but also to suspected benamidars—individuals in whose names Bhullar is alleged to have parked his illegal earnings. Investigators are analysing a diary recovered during earlier raids, which reportedly contains names and transactions linking the officer to a wider network of politicians and realtors.
Bhullar, who remains under suspension, is the son of former Punjab Police chief Mehal Singh Bhullar. Before his fall from grace, he was considered a low-profile yet influential officer who headed the special investigation team (SIT) that questioned Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in a drug smuggling case.
