The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday launched a major crackdown in Punjab, conducting simultaneous raids at 11 locations in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to former Punjab Police DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar. The action is part of a broader probe into alleged proceeds of crime, suspected benami assets, and questionable financial transactions forming part of a wider network under scrutiny.
ED Raids Hit 11 Locations Across Punjab
According to officials, ED teams from Delhi, supported by the Jalandhar unit, carried out the coordinated searches. The raids covered two locations in Chandigarh, including a residence in Sector 40, five premises in Ludhiana, two in Patiala, and one each in Nabha and Jalandhar. These properties are believed to be linked to Bhullar and his alleged associates, as well as suspected financial holdings under investigation.
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The case gained momentum after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Bhullar last year following a complaint from a scrap dealer. The complainant alleged that a bribe was demanded to settle an ongoing business-related case, reportedly involving an intermediary. The investigation later expanded into allegations of disproportionate assets and suspected accumulation of illegal wealth.
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₹7.36 Crore Cash Recovery Puts Assets in Spotlight
During earlier CBI searches, investigators recovered ₹7.36 crore in cash from a Chandigarh residence, along with gold and silver jewellery worth approximately ₹2.32 crore and 26 luxury wristwatches. These high-value recoveries significantly escalated the seriousness of the case, prompting the ED to initiate a parallel investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Benami Holdings and Money Trail Under Scanner
The current ED probe is focused on tracing the origin of assets, identifying the actual ownership structure, and determining whether properties were acquired through legitimate income or routed through layered financial arrangements. Investigators are examining bank records, property documents, and financial statements to map the flow of funds and identify possible laundering mechanisms.
Probe May Uncover Wider Financial Network
Officials stated that the PMLA framework empowers the agency to track, freeze, and eventually confiscate assets suspected to be linked to criminal activity. As part of the ongoing investigation, forensic teams are also analyzing digital evidence, electronic devices, and banking data to reconstruct transaction trails and uncover hidden connections.
Preliminary inputs suggest that the financial activities under review may not be isolated incidents but could form part of a larger and more complex network involving multiple individuals and entities. However, authorities have clarified that the investigation is still in progress and no final conclusions have been drawn at this stage.
The raids have also triggered discussions in administrative and political circles in Punjab, particularly regarding the ownership and legitimacy of several high-value properties now under scrutiny. Agencies are examining whether assets were held under multiple names or routed through proxy entities to conceal the actual beneficiaries.
ED officials are continuing the examination of seized documents and digital records. Sources indicate that further developments are likely as financial data analysis progresses. The agency believes that once the entire financial chain is reconstructed, the true scale and structure of the alleged laundering network will become clearer.
