Supreme Court setback for suspended DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, petition withdrawn

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The legal troubles of suspended DIG of Punjab Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar do not seem to be decreasing. Bhullar, who is embroiled in the case of bribery and recovery of huge amount of cash, has now received a big setback from the Supreme Court. Bhullar, who had approached the country's highest court with the hope of getting his FIR quashed, had to return empty-handed and had to withdraw his petition. The Supreme Court clarified that when his case is already pending in the High Court, he cannot directly expect relief here. On this technical ground, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, after which Bhullar's lawyer S.P.S. Bhullar withdrew the petition.

The background of the case is extremely serious. Harcharan Singh Bhullar was arrested by the CBI in Mohali in connection with a bribery case involving a scrap dealer in Mandi Gobindgarh. During the raid, the investigating agency recovered approximately ₹7.5 crore in cash, a large quantity of gold, and foreign liquor from his possession. This massive seizure sent shockwaves through the police department. Bhullar first approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking relief in this case, but after his petition was rejected, he approached the Supreme Court.

In his arguments, Bhullar challenged the CBI's jurisdiction. He claimed that the CBI conducted its operations in Mohali, Punjab, despite the fact that the rules required prior permission from the Punjab government. However, the High Court rejected his argument, stating that the seizures were made in Chandigarh, a Union Territory, and therefore, the CBI's actions were completely legal and no permission was required. Now, having withdrawn his petition from the Supreme Court, Bhullar will have to continue his legal battle in the High Court, where his demand for quashing of the FIR appears to be weakening.