Patiala, November 4 — The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday morning raided the residence of Bhupinder Singh, a well-known property consultant and owner of BH Properties, as part of the expanding inquiry into suspended Ropar Range DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar.
The search operation began around 7:30 am at Singh’s Moti Bagh residence in Patiala and continued through the day. A local police officer said the CBI team entered the premises after being allowed in by the gardener. “Our men were deployed outside to ensure security once the intimation reached us,” he noted.
Sources indicated that Singh’s name emerged during Bhullar’s interrogation and from documents seized earlier in the case. “Certain property links were noticed during sustained questioning of Bhullar, leading investigators to Bhupinder Singh,” a source close to the probe said.
Neither CBI officials nor Singh commented on the raid, and no official statement was released about what the team discovered. Witnesses said movement in and out of the house was completely restricted while the operation was underway.
Bhupinder Singh, who runs multiple real estate ventures in Patiala and Mohali, is regarded as a key figure in local property circles and is known for his proximity to influential bureaucrats and politicians.
The CBI action came just a day after a Mohali court dismissed as “infructuous” the Vigilance Bureau’s attempt to secure Bhullar’s custody in a separate disproportionate assets case. The central agency had objected to the move, calling it an effort to “obstruct its ongoing investigation.”
Bhullar, arrested on October 16 in an Rs 8-lakh bribery case, has since faced a series of searches that uncovered significant undeclared wealth — Rs 7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kilograms of gold jewellery, 26 high-end watches, two luxury vehicles, 100 litres of alcohol, and property papers for 50 assets. His counsel, however, maintains the assets belong to “ancestral property” and are not linked to corruption.
The suspended DIG was formally shown as arrested again by the Vigilance Bureau on October 31, even while under judicial custody in the CBI’s bribery case. Over the last two weeks, four cases have been filed against him under various laws, including the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Excise Act.
As the CBI widens its investigation, Monday’s search of Bhupinder Singh’s residence signals that the probe may soon extend beyond Bhullar’s immediate circle, potentially uncovering a broader network of financial dealings and political connections.
