New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a stern observation while hearing the second bail petition of suspended Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General Harcharan Singh Bhullar, remarking that the matter was a complete case for dismissal. A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana deferred the proceedings by four weeks, signaling that the court would consider evaluating the plea only after key prosecution witnesses conclude their testimony before the trial court.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice directly challenged the petitioner’s counsel, asking whether the defence preferred a summary dismissal immediately or wished to wait for the examination of critical witnesses. In response, Bhullar’s legal team pointed out that while several statements had been placed on record, the original complainant and other material witnesses were yet to be examined by the special court. Taking note of the stage of trial proceedings, the bench chose to adjourn the hearing rather than throw out the application immediately.
The suspended senior officer had approached the apex court after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed his regular bail application on August 10. The top court had previously declined to entertain an earlier bail petition by Bhullar on April 10, though it granted him liberty to approach the high court if trial proceedings failed to commence within two months.
The case stems from allegations that Bhullar, while serving as the DIG of Ropar range, used a private intermediary to solicit illegal gratification in exchange for providing favourable treatment in a criminal case registered at Sirhind police station. Following the complaint, the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a formal first information report and laid a trap in Chandigarh in October of last year. Federal investigators apprehended a co-accused red-handed while accepting five lakh rupees as an initial installment of the negotiated bribe, subsequently arresting Bhullar. With a special CBI court in Chandigarh having earlier dismissed his bail plea in January, the senior police officer remains in judicial custody pending further trial developments.
