CBI Seizes ₹7.5 Cr Cash, 2.5 Kg Gold, 108 Liquor Bottles from Punjab Police DIG Arrested in Bribery Case

The Central Bureau ofInvestigation (CBI) has seized ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kilograms of gold jewellery, 108 bottles of liquor, and other luxury items during searches at the premises of Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar who was arrested in a bribery case on October 16, 2025.

The central bureau conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab and Chandigarh following the arrest of the DIG and a private individual.

According to the CBI, Bhullar - a 2009-batch Indian Police Service officer who was posted as the DIG at the Ropar Range in Punjab was caught in a case involving a bribe of ₹8 lakh. He had allegedly demanded recurring monthly payments through a middleman to “settle” a First Information Report (FIR) registered against the complainant and to ensure that no coercive or adverse police action was taken against his business.

Acting on the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the middleman red-handed while accepting ₹8 lakh from the complainant on behalf of the DIG at Sector 21, Chandigarh. During the trap proceedings, a controlled call was made to Bhullar, who acknowledged the payment and summoned the complainant and the middleman to his office. The agency then apprehended Bhullar from his office and arrested both accused.

Initial searches on October 16 led to the recovery of approximately ₹5 crore in cash, 1.5 kilograms of gold jewellery, keys of Mercedes and Audi cars, 22 luxury watches, locker keys, 40 litres of imported liquor, firearms including a pistol, revolver, double-barrelled gun and airgun, and various property documents. Cash of ₹21 lakh was also recovered from the middleman’s possession. Both accused were produced before the designated CBI court on October 17.

Further extensive searches conducted by the CBI on October 17 revealed additional recoveries. From Bhullar’s Chandigarh residence, officials seized ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kilograms of gold jewellery, 26 luxury watches such as Rolex and Rado, documents related to over 50 immovable properties suspected to be held in the names of family members and benami entities, locker keys, and details of multiple bank accounts.

From his farmhouse at Samrala, investigators found ₹5.7 lakh in cash, 108 liquor bottles, and 17 live cartridges. Cash of ₹21 lakh and incriminating documents were again recovered from the residence of the middleman.

Both Bhullar and his associate have been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by the CBI Court in Chandigarh. The agency stated that the investigation is continuing to uncover the full extent of the alleged corruption, assets and misconduct linked to the accused officer.

X users have lamented the sorry state of affairs within the governing systems in the nation, with some exclaiming that “one can only imagine the depth of corruption in the country when someone holding a high position as that of the DIG is arrested with an insurmountable amount of cash, property and goods.”

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