Mohali: In a major crackdown on corruption within the police force, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested DIG Ropar Range Harcharan Bhullar after catching him red-handed while accepting a bribe.
According to official sources, the arrest took place in Mohali, where a CBI team laid a trap following a complaint that the senior police officer had been demanding regular monthly payments in exchange for extending undue favors. During the operation, Bhullar was allegedly caught accepting a bribe of ₹5 lakh.
The CBI team immediately took Bhullar into custody and launched searches at his residence and office to recover evidence related to the case. Preliminary reports suggest that the DIG had been receiving illegal gratification on a monthly basis, raising the possibility of a wider network of corruption within the department.
Sources in the agency said that the CBI had been tracking Bhullar’s activities for several days before launching the operation. The complainant reportedly approached the agency after being repeatedly harassed for bribe payments. Acting on credible intelligence, the CBI formed a special team that successfully executed the trap in Mohali.
Following his arrest, Bhullar is likely to be produced before the Special CBI Court for remand and interrogation. The agency is also probing whether other officials were involved or benefitted from the alleged bribery system.
This high-profile arrest has sent shockwaves through the Punjab Police, as Bhullar is among the senior-most officers in the state. The case highlights the CBI’s continued efforts to crack down on corruption at higher levels of the law enforcement machinery.
An official statement from the CBI is expected soon, detailing the charges and further course of investigation.
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