CHANDIGARH — The Central Bureau of Investigation informed a local court it has launched a separate inquiry into officers linked to chats and records found on phones belonging to suspended Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General Harcharan Singh Bhullar and his associate Kirshanu Sharda.

Both men face corruption charges after their October 16, 2024, arrest for demanding bribes from Mandi Gobindgarh scrap dealer Akash Batta. Investigators seized two phones from Bhullar and one from Sharda. Forensic analysis turned up communications hinting at bribes involving other public servants and private persons, according to a supplementary chargesheet filed in the CBI court.

No fresh evidence tied directly to the original bribery scheme emerged from the phone data, the agency reported. Still, the findings—backed by Sharda’s seized diary—suggest he arranged undue favors from senior officers across departments in exchange for payments.

Bhullar’s WhatsApp chats exposed ongoing exchanges with private individuals. Those messages showed unauthorized leaks of case details, close tracking of court hearings and efforts to sway probes and judicial outcomes, the chargesheet states.

These activities appear distinct from the Batta case. They involve separate players, timelines and bribe sums. The CBI described the material as pointing to standalone offenses under separate examination.

The agency laid a trap after verifying Batta’s complaint that Bhullar sought payments via Sharda. Officers caught them with the tainted cash on arrest day. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs has since approved Bhullar’s prosecution.

CBI officials stressed the phone probe runs parallel to the main case. Extracted data, witness statements and documents underwent thorough review. Nothing new implicated additional figures in the scrap dealer bribery. Yet the independent leads on gratifications demand action, they told the court.

Bhullar, a senior Punjab officer, remains suspended. Sharda acted as his aide in the scheme. The phones yielded sensitive threads spanning months. One set of chats referenced specific meetings in Chandigarh. Others detailed cash handovers tied to favors in unrelated matters.

Investigators cross-checked the digital trails against physical evidence like the diary from Sharda’s home. Entries there listed names, dates and amounts matching some communications. No overlaps reached the threshold for the current chargesheet, the CBI noted.

The separate inquiry could expand. It focuses on public servants from various agencies. Private parties named in the data face scrutiny too. Outcomes may lead to fresh cases, according to the court filing.

Punjab Police has stayed silent on the developments. Bhullar’s suspension bars him from duty amid the ongoing probes. The Home Ministry’s sanction clears a key hurdle for trial in the original matter.

CBI teams continue digital forensics. Additional devices may yield more. The agency aims to wrap the main case charges while pursuing the offshoots rigorously.