Chandigarh, October 31 — A special CBI court in Chandigarh on Friday extended by 14 days the judicial custody of suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who is facing corruption charges linked to an alleged ₹8 lakh bribery demand.
Bhullar, who appeared before the court through video conferencing from Burail jail, will now remain in custody until November 14. The Central Bureau of Investigation did not seek his remand during the hearing.
The senior police officer was arrested on October 16 along with middleman Krishanu Sharda following a complaint by a Mandi Gobindgarh-based scrap dealer, Naresh Batta. The complainant alleged that Bhullar had demanded a bribe through Sharda to “settle” an FIR filed against him at Sirhind police station in 2023.
According to the CBI, Sharda was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting ₹5 lakh in Chandigarh’s Sector 21 area on Bhullar’s behalf. Both were immediately arrested by the agency’s team.
Officials said that in his complaint, Batta accused Bhullar of seeking recurring illegal payments in exchange for halting further action in the police case. “Our focus is on tracing the complete money trail and identifying any other individuals who may have benefited,” a CBI spokesperson said.
Earlier, the CBI court had granted the agency nine days of remand for Sharda to recover the bribe money, gather digital and documentary proof, and analyse data seized from his devices. Investigators are also examining whether more public servants or private persons are linked to similar deals.
CBI sources mentioned that the investigation is continuing and no clean chit has been given to any of the accused so far.
