When a senior law-enforcement officer like Deputy Inspector General Harcharan Singh Bhullar is arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on charges — with staggering disclosures of assets and cash — the obvious question is: why is it that across party lines in Punjab, the response has been so muted? The silence of the major political parties — the Indian National Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — speaks volumes about the deeper rot of power, patronage and complicity in the state’s system.
A Career Built on “Plum” Postings — And the Leverage It Afforded
Bhullar, a 2009-batch IPS officer, had traversed through influential roles within Punjab police: he served as SSP in various districts, headed the SIT in major investigations, and was later elevated to DIG of the Ropar (Rupnagar) range. His resume of postings suggests proximity to power, generous postings and, crucially, the capacity to exercise — or be perceived to exercise — undue influence.
It is precisely this personal capital and the system’s deference to “senior officers” that enabled behaviours like using middlemen, collecting monthly payments (so-called “sewa-paani”), and controlling business interests with the implied backing of the uniform. According to a complaint, Bhullar allegedly demanded a bribe of ₹8 lakh and periodic payments for “settling” an FIR and ensuring no further policing action.
That the CBI, in raids, found over ₹5 crore in cash**, 1.5 kg gold jewellery, 22 luxury watches, keys to Audis and Mercedes, and property records spanning 50+ assets raises the obvious question: how did a “serving officer” amass such resources without generating questions within his department? ([The Tribune][3])
Political Proximity and the Shadow of Influence
Adding to the murk is the alleged association of the middleman (or tout) linked with Bhullar. Media reports suggest the individual had been seen in close proximity to key politicians — including mentions of being pictured with senior Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu and his wife on social media. (Need to locate a reliable independent verification of the exact images, the allegation itself is circulating in Punjabi media.)
If true, it underscores what we already suspect: that corruption networks often intertwine with political patronage systems, wherein officers, contractors, politicians and their proxies form a mesh of relationships that dilutes accountability. For the ruling party, the silence is telling. AAP had campaigned on “zero tolerance” for corruption; but when the man in uniform falls, they have little to say publicly. Congress and SAD — who bear the scars of previous regimes — stand wary of fully engaging, likely due to the prospect of mutual exposure.
The Muted Chorus: Political Parties and Their Avoidance of the Storm
* The Akali Dal has publicly criticized the government’s silence, demanding a probe into the “money trail” and asking: which party or election campaign benefited from this stash?
* The Punjab Governor, Gulab Chand Kataria, even while not a party actor, called this episode a “failure of the administrative machinery” and asked why such high-level misbehaviour stayed hidden for so long.
* AAP, whose government is in power in Punjab, has largely kept a low public profile; few statements from ministers have been forthcoming, thus raising questions of internal discomfort or fear of the exposure widening to larger systemic failures.
When all major parties simultaneously guard their tongues, several messages are conveyed: one, the stakes are high; two, the networks go beyond one individual — implicating broader structures; and three, political risk mitigation rather than proactive accountability is the immediate instinct.
Impact on Social Life, Trust & the Upcoming By-Polls
What does this mean for the ordinary citizen of Punjab? Trust in public institutions — especially the police — is further eroded. When the very person tasked with upholding the law becomes the subject of such allegations, the citizen sees not a protector, but a predator. Social life in its micro-forms — business, land deals, daily interactions with police — begins to carry an implicit “pay to play” dynamic.
Emerging just ahead of the by-poll in Taran Taran District, the Bhullar case may have political ripples. Voters may ask: what’s changed? Who will protect us from the “system” — one that appears to shield its own? If AAP is viewed as part of that system, or if the opposition appears equally compromised, the by-poll could shift on the narrative of credibility rather than just local issues. Will this scandal depress turnout, or will it galvanise demand for “clean governance”? Only time will tell.
Will This End in Reform or Fade into Another Episode?
A crucial question now hangs: will this become a watershed moment, or be folded into the long list of “one-off” scandals with no structural change? There are reasons for scepticism:
* Deep entanglement of officers-politicians-business has made accountability selective.
* The slow pace of sanctioning, asset recovery and conviction in past cases means many believe things will proceed along familiar corridors.
* Unless major political actors speak up and push for institutional reform — transparent transfers, public asset disclosures with real audit, and citizen oversight — the risk is that this arrest will be treated as a “bad apple” in an otherwise functional barrel, rather than a sign of systemic rot.
However, there is a chance too: the scale of the seizure (50+ properties) and the public outrage could push demand for reform. The media spotlight is intense, and the next weeks — CBI’s chargesheet, the correlation of property records with declared income, public disclosures — could define whether this moment becomes a catalyst.
The arrest of DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar shakes the foundations of Punjab’s law-and-order and governance narrative. But beyond the individual, it raises far more uncomfortable questions: what is the cost of silence from political parties? How many other “Bhullars” function with impunity under the veneer of authority? Will the citizen believe in change or resign to cynicism?
In the coming days, the silence of the Congress, Akali Dal and AAP will speak louder than any press conference. If they continue to avoid the issue, they risk being seen not as guardians of integrity but as participants in its erosion. And in a democracy, when the guardians become part of the problem, the people end up bearing the cost.
