Chandigarh: A CBI court in Chandigarh has allowed the agency to summon complainant Akash Batta as the next prosecution witness in the corruption case involving suspended Punjab Police DIG HS Bhullar.
Special Judge Bhavna Jain approved the CBI application seeking Batta’s examination. The agency, through Public Prosecutor Narinder Singh, told the court that prosecution witnesses were being examined in the case and that recovery witness Raj Kumar had already been summoned for September 24, 2026.
The CBI described Batta as a key witness whose testimony is important for establishing several aspects of the case, including the circumstances leading to the complaint, the alleged demand for a bribe, the verification process, the pre-trap proceedings, the trap operation and the alleged receipt and recovery of the bribe amount.
The agency also informed the court that Bhullar’s bail matter is pending before the Supreme Court in a special leave petition (SLP). The matter was partly heard on September 15, with the next hearing scheduled for October 27, 2026.
The CBI said that during the Supreme Court proceedings, its counsel was orally directed to ensure that Batta’s examination was completed on September 24, before the examination of recovery witness Raj Kumar.
Bhullar’s counsel, SPS Bhullar, did not oppose the CBI application. After hearing the arguments, the CBI court permitted the agency to summon Batta as the next prosecution witness and examine him on the scheduled date.
Case relates to alleged ₹5 lakh bribe
The FIR in the case was registered on the basis of a complaint by Akash Batta. The complaint alleged that Bhullar, who was then posted as DIG, Ropar Range, had sought a bribe through an alleged intermediary, Krishanu Sharda, in exchange for providing relief in an FIR registered at Sarhind police station and not taking stringent action against the complainant’s business.
Following the complaint, the CBI laid a trap. On October 16, 2025, Sharda was allegedly caught accepting ₹5 lakh from Batta as an instalment of the demanded bribe.
Bhullar was also arrested on the same day. The CBI subsequently filed a chargesheet on December 3, 2025, under Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Charges have already been framed against Bhullar in the alleged bribery case.
