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New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has once again cracked a case that revealed hoards of cash and other forms of wealth. The central agency has arrested a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who was serving as the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Ropar Range in Punjab, in a corruption case.
The CBI has arrested DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer. The central agency has also arrested a person named Krishna, his alleged middleman. The CBI said the officer was caught demanding and receiving bribes through this intermediary. He was taking the money in exchange for settling a criminal case filed against a local businessman. He was getting payments every month.
Allegedly, it all started with a demand for Rs 8 lakh. But as the CBI began to dig deeper, it found evidence of massive wealth, including Rs 5 crore in cash, luxury vehicles, jewellery, and high-end watches, with no explanation behind their presence.
CBI registered the case on Thursday after a scrap dealer named Akash Batta submitted a written complaint five days ago in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib. The complainant alleged that DIG Bhullar had been threatening to implicate him in a fabricated case related to his business operations unless he paid Rs 8 lakh as an initial bribe, followed by monthly "settlement" payments.
The central agency's FIR stated that Bhullar demanded the payments through Krishna, who allegedly pressurised him again and again. Krishna allegedly said, "The August payment was not paid, the September payment was not paid."
CBI laid a trap in Sector 21 in Chandigarh and caught Krishna red-handed while accepting Rs 8 lakh for the DIG from the complainant. A controlled call took place between the complainant and the DIG, with the officer acknowledging receipt of the payment.
Among many things, the CBI recovered around Rs 5 crore in cash (counting still ongoing), 1.5 kg of gold and jewellery, documents relating to immovable properties across Punjab, keys of two luxury vehicles -- a Mercedes and an Audi, 22 high-end wristwatches, locker keys, and 40 litres of imported liquor, firearms, and ammunition.
