By Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has come under sharp attack from opposition parties after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹8 lakh. Bhullar, who was posted as DIG, Ropar Range — covering the districts of Mohali, Ropar, and Fatehgarh Sahib — was caught red-handed on Thursday in Chandigarh.
The arrest of a senior police officer in a graft case has dealt a serious blow to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claim of running a corruption-free administration. With Mann holding the Home portfolio, the opposition has questioned how such large-scale corruption within the police could go unnoticed.
CBI sources said massive recoveries were made during searches at Bhullar’s residence in Sector 40, Chandigarh — including ₹7.5 crore in cash, 2.5 kg of gold, 26 luxury watches, 108 bottles of imported liquor, four weapons, and over 100 live cartridges. The agency also found keys to multiple bank lockers and documents relating to more than 50 properties. “The extent of Bhullar’s assets may increase once the lockers are opened, ” a CBI official said.
Blow to CM Bhagwant Mann
The arrest of a senior police officer in a graft case has dealt a serious blow to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claim of running a corruption-free administration. With Mann holding the Home portfolio, the opposition has questioned how such large-scale corruption within the police could go unnoticed.
According to the CBI, Bhullar was in contact with a middleman, Krishanu Sharda — a national-level hockey player known to be close to several Punjab Police officers. Acting on a complaint from a scrap dealer in Fatehgarh Sahib, the agency laid a trap and apprehended Sharda in Sector 21, Chandigarh, while he was allegedly accepting the bribe. On CBI’s direction, Sharda reportedly made a WhatsApp call to Bhullar, who instructed him to collect ₹8 lakh. About ₹21 lakh was recovered from Sharda during the operation.
Since the CBI is barred from registering new cases in Punjab — a restriction imposed during the Capt Amarinder Singh government — the trap and arrest were executed in Chandigarh, which falls under CBI jurisdiction.
Political Tempest for AAP
The arrest has triggered a political storm in Punjab. Despite the gravity of the charges and massive recoveries, the state government has yet to announce any departmental action against Bhullar or issue an official response to the CBI’s claims. The silence of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann has drawn sharp criticism from rival parties.
Leader of Opposition and Congress veteran Partap Singh Bajwa said the recovery of crores of rupees from a serving DIG “exposes the rampant corruption flourishing under AAP’s watch.” He added, “Bhagwant Mann’s so-called zero-tolerance policy on coruption has failed miserably.”
PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring termed the development “a tight slap on AAP’s tall claims of honesty.” He said, “It’s unimaginable that a DIG could accumulate such vast wealth without political patronage. This arrest is just the tip of the iceberg — the entire governance structure has become rotten under AAP.”
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also demanded a probe into the money trail. Senior leader Parambans Singh Romana questioned whether Bhullar was collecting the bribes on behalf of others. “The silence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his party indicates there’s much more to hide. The CBI must probe the entire chain to uncover the corruption network of this so-called ‘Kattar Imandaar Party’, ” Romana said.
With the CBI unearthing what could be one of the biggest corruption cases in recent years, the AAP government now faces its most serious credibility test yet.