Suspended Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar on Thursday moved the Special CBI Court seeking discharge in the corruption case registered against him last year.
The Special CBI Court issued a notice to the CBI, directing it to file a reply to the application.
In the plea, Bhullar sought discharge from the case, contending that the CBI had no jurisdiction to register the FIR against him under the law.
The application further stated that there was no evidence to prove the alleged demand for or acceptance of a bribe. It also claimed that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) report did not conclusively establish that the voice recording belonged to Bhullar.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Akash Batta, who alleged that Bhullar, then posted as DIG, Ropar Range, had demanded illegal gratification through a private intermediary, Krishanu Sharda, in return for favourable treatment in an FIR registered at Sirhind police station and for ensuring that no coercive action was taken against the complainant’s business.
Following the complaint, the CBI laid a trap. Bhullar’s alleged aide, Krishanu Sharda, was apprehended on October 16, 2025, while allegedly accepting Rs 5 lakh as part of the demanded bribe from the complainant.
Bhullar was arrested the same day. The CBI filed its chargesheet under Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) on December 3, 2025.
During the previous hearing on June 6, the Special CBI Court in Chandigarh dismissed Bhullar’s application seeking to declare the prosecution sanction granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs invalid. The matter was then adjourned to July 2 for arguments on charges.
Meanwhile, Bhullar’s application seeking regular bail in the corruption case is pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
