E-Paper
Now, suspended DIG Bhullar moves HC for bail in corruption case
On January 2, the trial court in Chandigarh had rejected his bail plea observing that the case was an alarming economic offence
Denied bail by the trial court, suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar has now moved the Punjab and Haryana high court for bail in the corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on October 16 last year.
On January 2, the trial court in Chandigarh had rejected his bail plea observing that the case was an alarming economic offence.
In his fresh plea filed on Friday, Bhullar stated that the investigation had concluded and the challan was presented by CBI on January 3, thereby rendering further custodial interrogation “wholly unnecessary”. The plea is likely to be taken up for hearing next week.
It was further argued that the prosecution proposed to examine predominantly official witnesses, and the petitioner had been suspended from service, eliminating any plausible apprehension of influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence.
The plea also raised arguments about jurisdictional issues – CBI action against an officer serving in Punjab, about which a separate petition has been filed by him before the high court and is still pending adjudication.
The application said the petitioner had spent substantial period of time inside jail in a case wherein if convicted, he would get a maximum of seven years imprisonment. Hence, his continuous incarceration would amount to punitive detention before trial, contrary to the settled principles governing bail.
Bhullar, 59, and middleman Krishanu Sharda, 29, a national-level hockey player, were arrested on October 16 following a complaint filed by Akash Batta, a scrap dealer from Mandi Gobindgarh.
During a subsequent search at Bhullar’s Sector 40 home, CBI had seized around ₹7.5 crore in cash, gold and silver jewellery worth ₹2.32 crore, 22 luxury watches, multiple luxury vehicles, 40 litres of imported liquor, and documents for 129 acres of agricultural land, numerous urban properties in Patiala, Ludhiana, Mohali and New Chandigarh, and 50 commercial shops at Machhiwara, Ludhiana.
Bhullar has been lodged in Model Jail, Chandigarh, since his arrest. The CBI had also registered a separate case of disproportionate assets against him in which chargesheet has yet to be filed by CBI. He secured a bail in this case on January 5.
Co-accused hockey player’s bail plea rejected
The bail plea of Krishanu Sharda was dismissed by the special CBI court on Friday. His lawyer argued that Sharda was a national-level hockey player and played for the Chandigarh team. He should be granted bail as trials for the Chandigarh team were scheduled for the National Hockey Championship next month. The defence counsel also argued that he had been falsely implicated and the CBI’s case against him was baseless.
CBI’s public prosecutor Narendra Singh strongly opposed the bail plea, stating that there was sufficient and solid evidence against the accused. The bribe money was recovered from him. Furthermore, audio recordings were available in the case, which clearly demonstrated that the accused was very close to Bhullar and was demanding the bribe on his behalf, he said.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court stated that the accused was no ordinary player and that serious evidence was there against him. The court rejected Sharda’s bail application, refusing to accept the hockey trial as a ground for bail.
