A Chandigarh Special CBI Court has taken cognisance of the bribery case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against suspended Punjab DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and his close aide Kirshanu Sharda, formally paving the way for their trial in the Rs 8-lakh corruption case.Special CBI Judge Bhawna Jain observed that the “demand, acceptance, and recovery of bribe money, electronic evidence, and corroborative witness statements prima facie establish the criminal conspiracy between the accused”, and that both “in conspiracy with each other committed acts of omission and commission”.The court held that Bhullar and Sharda prima facie committed offences under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted prosecution sanction against Bhullar on January 23, clearing a critical legal hurdle for his trial. The sanction was granted after MHA examined investigation records and received advice from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recommending the grant of sanction.Judge cites evidence trailIn her cognisance order, Judge Jain noted that during the investigation, “sufficient evidence in the form of oral, documentary, and electronic records has come on record” establishing that Bhullar, then posted as DIG, Ropar Range, Punjab Police, and Sharda “conspired with each other and, in pursuance of that, had demanded a bribe of Rs 8 lakh from the complainant in lieu of settling the FIR registered against him at the Sirhind police station and as a monthly payment for allowing him to run his scrap dealing business”.The court observed that under Bhullar’s direction, his co-accused Sharda accepted a part of the bribe amount of Rs 5 lakh, which was recovered from his possession. “It was thereafter revealed from the controlled call between accused Kirshanu Sharda and Harcharan Singh Bhullar that the aforementioned amount was to be handed over to accused Harcharan Singh Bhullar,” the judge said.The order detailed how the case was registered on October 16, 2025, based on a written complaint dated October 11 by Akash Batta, who alleged that an FIR registered against him at the Sirhind police station was being used to extort money. During verification proceedings on October 11, the illegal gratification amount was revealed to be Rs 8 lakh, with Sharda acting as a conduit on behalf of Bhullar.Trap, controlled callThe court noted that a trap was laid by the CBI team on October 16, during which Sharda was caught red-handed after accepting a part payment of Rs 5 lakh in his car. “When he was challenged by the TLO regarding accepting the bribe money from the complainant, accused Kirshanu Sharda voluntarily admitted in the presence of witnesses that he had accepted the bribe money on the direction of accused Harcharan Singh Bhullar,” the order stated.The judge observed that Sharda then made a WhatsApp call to Bhullar and stated that the complainant had handed over Rs 5 lakh instead of Rs 8 lakh, upon which Bhullar directed him to bring the complainant to his office at Mohali. “On finding the role of accused Harcharan Singh Bhullar complicit in the case,” the CBI team reached his office and brought him to the CBI office for examination, the order said. Both were arrested on October 16 and have remained in custody since.Digital, voice evidenceThe court noted that WhatsApp data extracted from mobile phones seized from both accused “revealed a continuous connection between Harcharan Singh Bhullar and Kirshanu Sharda during the period of bribe negotiations”. Specimen voice samples of both accused and the complainant were taken, and voices in recorded conversations were identified by witnesses.The order further stated that the investigation revealed Bhullar, while posted as DIG, Ropar Range, exercised supervisory control over the Sirhind police station, where the FIR against the complainant was registered, and had sought brief notes of the FIR from the Investigating Officer in April 2025, “thereby establishing his interference in the case”.The court observed that Sharda, “being a private individual, acted as a middleman for the public servant Harcharan Singh Bhullar and facilitated and abetted the demand, negotiation, collection, and acceptance of the bribe on behalf of the public servant, thereby attracting the provisions of Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act”.Already in custody since OctoberBoth Bhullar and Sharda have been in custody since their arrest on October 16 in the Rs 5-lakh bribery trap case in Chandigarh. A separate disproportionate assets case was registered against them by CBI and Punjab Vigilance Bureau on October 29.On February 16, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed Bhullar’s plea seeking regular bail in the corruption case. Searches at Bhullar’s residence at House No. 1489, Sector 40-B, Chandigarh, and other linked premises following his arrest led to the recovery of Rs 7.36 crore in cash, gold and silver items worth Rs 2.32 crore, 26 luxury watches, four firearms with over 100 live cartridges, and documents relating to more than 50 immovable properties. Five luxury vehicles and bank balances totalling Rs 2.95 crore were also seized.Against this haul, Bhullar’s declared annual income for 2024-25 was Rs 45.95 lakh, or Rs 32 lakh net after tax deductions. The cognisance marks a critical procedural milestone in the case, with the court now set to proceed with framing charges and the eventual trial of both accused.