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Chandigarh: A Central Bureau of Investigation court in Chandigarh on Monday allowed the default bail application of suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar in a disproportionate assets case after the probe agency failed to file a chargesheet within the mandatory 60-day period.
The court granted relief to Bhullar on technical grounds, noting that the CBI had not completed its investigation within the statutory timeframe. The disproportionate assets case was registered on October 29 last year, around 11 days after Bhullar’s arrest in a corruption case.
Bhullar and his alleged aide Kirshanu Sharda were arrested on October 16, 2025, for allegedly demanding bribes from a scrap dealer in Mandi Gobindgarh. According to the CBI, Bhullar sought illegal gratification from the complainant through Sharda.
During searches conducted at multiple locations linked to Bhullar, the agency claimed to have recovered substantial assets, including large sums of cash, gold and silver jewellery, 26 expensive branded watches, and documents related to immovable properties.
Public prosecutor Narender Singh opposed the default bail plea, but the court allowed it after hearing both sides. However, Bhullar will not be released immediately, as his regular bail plea in the main corruption case was rejected by the court last week.
Earlier, Bhullar had argued that the 60 daysa should be calculated from the date of registration of the first FIR, contending that the disproportionate assets case was merely an offshoot of the corruption case. The CBI had opposed this contention, but the court ultimately granted default bail due to procedural lapse in filing the chargesheet on time.
