“Embattled Suspended DIG Bhullar Takes New Step, Files Bail Plea in High Court”
Suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar has once again approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking regular bail in a corruption case registered against him in October last year. Bhullar filed this application two months after the Supreme Court granted him the liberty to approach the High Court if his trial did not commence within a two-month timeframe.
In an order pronounced on April 10, 2026, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, had stated:
“While we are not inclined to entertain the bail application at this stage, however, we grant liberty to the petitioner that if the trial does not commence within two months, he may approach the High Court again for bail. Such an application shall be considered by the High Court on its merits. With the observation above, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed.”
Background of the Case
Bhullar had previously approached the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court’s February 16 order, which had dismissed his bail plea.
During those proceedings, the senior advocate appearing for the accused argued that the investigation was already complete, and both the primary and supplementary chargesheets had been filed. Under such circumstances, prolonged custody served no purpose—especially since the accused was suspended and posed no flight risk.
Before the High Court, Bhullar maintained that most of the witnesses were official personnel, arguing that his suspension eliminated any possibility of him influencing them or tampering with evidence.
The Allegations
Bhullar’s alleged accomplice, Krishanu Sharda, was reportedly caught red-handed on October 16, 2025, while accepting ₹5,00,000 as part of a bribe demanded from the complainant. Bhullar was arrested the same day, and a chargesheet under Section 193 of the BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) was filed on December 3, 2025.
The FIR in this case was registered based on a complaint by an individual named Akash Batta. It was alleged that Bhullar, who was posted as the DIG of Ropar Range at the time, had demanded an illegal gratification through a private middleman (Krishanu Sharda). The bribe was allegedly meant to ensure favorable action in an FIR registered at the Sirhind Police Station and to guarantee that no coercive steps would be taken against the complainant’s business.
During the previous hearing on June 6, the Special CBI Court in Chandigarh dismissed an application by Bhullar that sought to declare the prosecution sanction granted against him by the Ministry of Home Affairs as invalid. The court has adjourned the matter to July 2, 2026, for arguments on the framing of charges.
