The Enforcement Directorate conducted search operations in a corruption case involving suspended Punjab Deputy Inspector General Harcharan Singh Bhullar and others under Section 17 of PMLA, 2002. This action follows predicate offences registered by the CBI and Chandigarh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, related to alleged demands for illegal gratification through a middleman for settling a criminal case and the discovery of disproportionate assets.
Searches are underway at 11 locations in Chandigarh (2), Ludhiana (5), Patiala (2), Nabha (1), and Jalandhar (1) under Section 17 of PMLA, targeting the accused, associates, and suspected ‘benamidars’. The objective of these searches is to trace additional proceeds of crime, identify benami assets, and collect evidence linked to money laundering, as per sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation is ongoing, with the CBI revealing details of meetings, negotiations, and alleged deliveries of illegal gratification within Chandigarh’s jurisdiction. The agency highlighted a structured network of middlemen facilitating bribery and suspect criminal misconduct by multiple unidentified public servants. The probe, initiated on February 19, involves both public officials and private citizens based on a complaint lodged by a CBI inspector.
