Suspended Punjab DIG HS Bhullar granted default bail in assets case

CBI Court Grants Default Bail to Suspended Punjab Police DIG HS Bhullar

The CBI Court on Monday granted the default bail plea of suspended Punjab police DIG HS Bhullar in a disproportionate assets case. However, he will remain in judicial custody because the court had previously denied his request for regular bail in the main corruption case on January 2 this year.

Understanding Default Bail

Default bail, also known as statutory or compulsory bail, is a fundamental right for an accused person. It allows release from custody if the investigating agency does not complete the probe and file a chargesheet within a legally required time limit, usually 60 or 90 days.

Court’s Ruling on Default Bail

While allowing the default bail plea, CBI special judge Bhawna Jain stated that the CBI’s argument about complex transactions and delays in compiling the challan was not a valid reason to deny the application for default bail.

Legal Context of the Case

The court noted, “The maximum punishment under section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act is up to 10 years, not 10 years or more. Therefore, the investigating agency was required to file the final report/chargesheet within 60 days, as also held by the Kerala High Court.”

Background of the Case

The disproportionate assets case is linked to a bribery case in which Bhullar and his alleged aide Kirshanu Sharda were arrested on October 16. They were accused of seeking ₹8 lakh in bribes from a scrap dealer in Mandi Gobindgarh to settle an old FIR.

Current Status of Chargesheets

While the CBI has filed a chargesheet in the corruption case, it has not yet done so in the DA case. This case was registered on October 29 after ₹7 crore in cash and gold and silver jewelry worth over ₹2 crore were recovered from Bhullar’s residence during searches.

Defense Argument

The DIG’s counsel, SPS Bhullar, argued that 60 days had passed since the FIR was registered. He stated that the CBI failed to file the chargesheet and thus Bhullar is entitled to default bail in the DA case.