The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday told a Mohali court that the disproportionate assets (DA) case against the suspended Punjab DIG, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, has been filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) to ‘hinder’ the investigation being conducted by the federal agency against him.
“…the VB has filed a parallel FIR on identical allegations to frustrate the lawful and ongoing CBI investigation,” the CBI prosecutor said in response to the application filed by VB seeking production warrants from the court in the October 29 DA case registered by it.
Following submissions from both sides, Mohali chief judicial magistrate Megha Dhaliwal dismissed the VB’s application, observing that the officer is already in the custody of the CBI till November 6.
CBI and VB had filed respective DA cases against Bhullar on October 29. The CBI had arrested Bhullar, who was serving as Ropar Range DIG, on October 16 along with a “middleman Krishanu” for allegedly accepting ₹5 lakh in a bribe from a scrap dealer, Akash Batta, who is also the complainant. During searches at his Chandigarh residence, the CBI seized cash worth over ₹7.36 crore, jewellery worth over ₹2.32 crore, 26 branded and expensive watches, besides documents of nearly 50 immovable properties in the names of family members. Following his arrest, Bhullar was in judicial custody in the corruption case registered by the CBI.
CJM Dhaliwal, in her order, said the application had become “infructuous” in view of the Bhullar being in CBI custody and not in judicial custody. However, it allowed the VB to move a fresh application once the CBI’s custody concludes. “Since the accused is now under CBI custody, the application stands dismissed as infructuous,” the order reads.
{{/usCountry}}CJM Dhaliwal, in her order, said the application had become “infructuous” in view of the Bhullar being in CBI custody and not in judicial custody. However, it allowed the VB to move a fresh application once the CBI’s custody concludes. “Since the accused is now under CBI custody, the application stands dismissed as infructuous,” the order reads.
{{/usCountry}}The court said that VB could be given custody only after the period of custody secured by the CBI ends.
Initially, after the CBI didn’t seek his remand, Bhullar’s judicial custody was extended on October 31 till November 14.
However, on November 1, CBI filed an application before the Chandigarh court seeking his custody on a day when the VB had moved the Mohali court seeking his production warrants in the October 29 FIR and claiming that his formal arrest was made by the bureau in Chandigarh jail on October 31.
Eventually, the CBI court in Chandigarh sent the suspended DIG to a five-day remand, amid a day-long drama, with both the federal probe agency and Punjab Vigilance Bureau seeking his remand from respective courts in Chandigarh and Mohali.
While granting custody to the accused, the CBI court said that in view of the huge data allegedly recovered from the DIG’s mobile phone, his police remand till November 6 is granted to carry out a fair and effective investigation “to trace the bribe money trail, identify the ultimate beneficiary and to confront him with the information revealed by his co-accused.”