DIG Bhullar and Kirshanu Sharda move CBI Court Chandigarh for re-calling cognisance order in corruption case
A petition filed in the High Court was withdrawn with permission to file afresh with better particulars, as the challan was presented later
Suspended DIG of Punjab Police Harcharan Singh Bhullar and his close aide Kirshanu Sharda have moved the CBI Court Chandigarh for re-calling of its order for taking cognisance in the corruption case registered by CBI last year.
The CBI court on March 13, 2026, had taken cognisance in the case while observing that the demand, acceptance, recovery of bribe money, electronic evidence and corroborative witness statements prima facie establish the criminal conspiracy hatched between the accused.
Both the accused persons, in conspiracy with each other, committed acts of omission and commission and hence, prima facie, they are found to have committed the offences punishable under Section 61(2) of the BNS, 2023, and Sections 7 and 12 of the PC Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), and substantive offences thereof.
The suspended DIG, in the application filed through advocate SPS Bhullar before the Court of Bhawna Jain, Special Judge, CBI, Chandigarh, said that the court had taken cognisance despite the fact that the challan presented by the prosecution is incomplete, as discussed in the order, with regard to documents of the CFSL report which are yet to be supplied.
The counsel further said that the prosecution sanction is invalid as the consent of the State Government has not been obtained by the prosecution, as the accused is an employee of the State of Punjab Government. Moreover, jurisdiction is also under challenge.
A petition filed in the High Court was withdrawn with permission to file afresh with better particulars, as the challan was presented later. He said that charges are yet to be framed as the report of the CFSL is awaited and documents in this regard are yet to be supplied.
Advocate Matvinder Singh, appearing for accused Kirshanu Sharda, argued that no arguments of the CBI counsel or the defence counsel were heard before the passing of the order.
He also said that it is not clear under what provision of BNSS the said order has been passed. That the detailed discussion of the prosecution version and documents and the finding of a prima facie case against the accused forecloses the possibility of any fair hearing at the stage of consideration on the point of framing charges. He said that the case is not even fixed for framing of charges as the copies of prosecution documents are still being supplied to the accused.
Both the accused said that in view of the situation, it is prayed that the Cognisance Order be recalled in the interest of justice. CBI arrested Bhullar, DIG, Ropar Range, Punjab Police, and his accomplice Kirshanu on October 16, 2025, on the basis of a written complaint dated September 11, 2025, made by complainant Akash Batta.
Batta alleged that Kirshanu, who is close to the DIG, met him and demanded Rs 8 lakh in lieu of settling the FIR registered against him at Police Station Sirhind and as a monthly payment for letting him run his business of scrap dealing.
