ED raids ex Punjab DIG Bhullar in PMLA case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted simultaneous search operations at 11 locations across Punjab and Chandigarh in connection with a money laundering case involving suspended Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar (2009-batch IPS officer) and his associates.
The searches, carried out under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targeted premises linked to Bhullar, his associates and suspected benamidars. The locations included five sites in Ludhiana district, two in Chandigarh, two in Patiala, one in Nabha, and one in Jalandhar. ED officials stated that the operation aims to trace further proceeds of crime, identify benami properties and gather additional evidence related to money laundering.
“This PMLA action stems from predicate offences registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Chandigarh. The case centres on allegations that Bhullar, while posted as DIG, Ropar Range, demanded illegal gratification through a middleman to settle a criminal case. It also involves charges of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income”, ED sources said.
Bhullar was arrested by the CBI on October 16 last year, along with his alleged middleman, Krishanu Sharda, a former hockey player. The probe began after a complaint by a Fatehgarh Sahib-based scrap dealer, who alleged that Bhullar had demanded a bribe of Rs 8 lakhs (initially ?4 lakh plus monthly payments) through Sharda to close an FIR registered against the complainant’s business at Sirhind police station in 2023.
A CBI team had caught Sharda accepting Rs 5 lakhs on Bhullar’s behalf. Subsequent searches at Bhullar’s residence in Sector 40-B, Chandigarh and other linked properties yielded a massive haul: approximately Rs 7.36 crore to Rs 7.5 crore in cash, gold and silver jewellery worth around Rs 2.32 crore, 26 luxury watches including high-end brands like Rolex and Rado, four firearms with over 100 live cartridges, documents related to more than 50 immovable properties, keys to luxury vehicles including Mercedes and Audi and other expensive assets.
Bhullar was later suspended from service. Subsequently, a special CBI court took cognisance of the case in March 2026 and ordered framing charges under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The ED had registered its PMLA case against Bhullar in November 2025 on the basis of the CBI’s FIR and the disproportionate assets probe.
ED’s operation marks a significant escalation in the investigation, focusing not only on Bhullar but also on his network of associates and property transactions allegedly used to launder proceeds of crime. ED sources indicated that teams are examining the management and dealings of immovable properties suspected to be linked to the former DIG, including premises associated with individuals like Krishanu Sharda in Nabha and others in Ludhiana and Patiala.
This case has drawn significant attention as one of the more high-profile cases of corruption, involving a senior Punjab Police officer in recent years, highlighting concerns over blatant misuse of power for personal gain and the laundering of the ill-gotten wealth through benami assets and property deals. The ED is expected to continue its scrutiny and more revelations are anticipated as the agency analyses documents and statements gathered during the raids. Bhullar and Sharda remain in judicial custody in connection with the original CBI case.
