National Times Bureau :- After the CBI’s crackdown in the bribery case involving former Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is now set to step in, signaling deeper trouble for several senior officials. On Tuesday, an ED team is expected to visit the CBI office in Chandigarh to collect records related to alleged benami properties linked to Bhullar and a number of IAS and IPS officers.
According to CBI sources, the investigation so far has revealed the names of nearly 50 Punjab officials suspected of having invested in properties through a Patiala-based real estate dealer, Bhupinder Singh. Fourteen officers—ten IPS and four IAS—have already been identified, with many still serving in key state positions.
The CBI’s probe also exposed that Bhullar and his alleged middleman, Krishna Sharda, facilitated illegal deals, manipulated transfers, and influenced investigations for bribes. With the ED’s entry, officials involved may soon receive summons for questioning in the benami property trail, potentially widening the scope of the corruption probe in Punjab’s bureaucracy.
