A special CBI court has dismissed a plea filed by suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar challenging the validity of the prosecution sanction granted against him in the ₹8-lakh bribery case, clearing the way for the trial to proceed, unless challenged in higher courts.
The order was passed by special CBI judge Bhawna Jain on Saturday, holding that the sanction granted by the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) was legally valid and issued by the competent authority.
Bhullar had argued that the Punjab government was the competent authority to grant sanction for his prosecution and not the central government. He contended that the sanction order, dated January 23, 2026, suffered from legal infirmities, including “non-application of mind and failure to consult the Punjab government”.
The case stems from a CBI FIR registered on October 16, 2025, alleging that Bhullar and another accused conspired to demand a bribe of ₹8 lakh from complainant Akash Batta, a Mandi Gobindgarh-based scrap dealer, and subsequently accepted ₹5 lakh through an intermediary.
Opposing the plea, the CBI maintained that Bhullar, being an IPS officer belonging to an All India Service, could be removed from service only by the central government, acting through the President of India. Therefore, the ministry of home affairs was the competent authority to accord sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
{{/usCountry}}Opposing the plea, the CBI maintained that Bhullar, being an IPS officer belonging to an All India Service, could be removed from service only by the central government, acting through the President of India. Therefore, the ministry of home affairs was the competent authority to accord sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
{{/usCountry}}Agreeing with the CBI, the court observed that administrative control exercised by a state government over an IPS officer is distinct from the authority competent to remove the officer from service. It further held that allegations regarding non-application of mind by the sanctioning authority could only be examined during trial on the basis of evidence.
Finding no merit in the application, the court dismissed Bhullar’s plea, paving the way for the corruption trial to proceed.