The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 1.4 crore in cash and recovered incriminating documents linked to money laundering activities in the case of former Deputy Inspector General of Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar, officials said after carrying out multiple raids on Wednesday.
According to officials, as many as 11 locations across Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Jalandhar allegedly linked to Bhullar were raided on Monday. The allegations range from cash routing through property dealers and layering funds in bank accounts of suspected “benamidars”, which were allegedly used for money laundering activities.
The searches carried out by the ED’s Chandigarh Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targeted assets linked to Bhullar; his accomplices, including some property dealers; and suspected “benamidars”, officials said.
They said further investigation to unravel the deeper nexus between the property dealers, intermediaries and other government officials linked to Bhullar is currently underway.
The investigators had found multiple bank transactions made in the names of property dealers and suspected “benamidars” who had no legitimate source of income commensurate with their investments in land.
Original property documents recovered during searches at Bhullar’s Sector 40-B, Chandigarh, residence by the CBI earlier indicate his beneficial ownership of these assets.
Searches at Bhullar’s Chandigarh residence had earlier yielded Rs 7.36 crore in cash, gold and silver worth Rs 2.32 crore, 26 luxury watches, four firearms, documents relating to over 50 immovable properties, and five luxury vehicles—against a declared annual income of just Rs 45.95 lakh for 2024-25.
The two main accused, Bhullar and his associate Sarda, have remained in judicial custody, while the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected Bhullar’s bail plea on February 16 this year.
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