Chandigarh, July 11 -- A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Friday framed charges against suspended Punjab Police deputy inspector general (DIG) Harcharan Singh Bhullar and his aide Krishanu Sharda in a corruption case registered in October last year. The charges have been framed under Section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and under Section 7 (public servant obtaining or accepting an undue advantage) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Bhullar, and under Section 12 (abetment of the offence under Section 7) of the Act against Sharda. If convicted, they may be jailed for up to seven years, along with a fine. Special CBI judge Bhawna Jain said a prima facie case is made out against the accused after considering the CBI's "final report and the material placed on record". The court also rejected separate discharge applications filed by Bhullar and Sharda and proceeded to frame charges against them. Both pled not guilty during the hearing, upon which court ordered commencement of trial from July 23. Bhullar (59), then DIG, Ropar range, and middleman Krishanu Sharda, 29, were arrested on October 16, 2025 following a complaint by Akash Batta, a scrap dealer. It was alleged Bhullar demanded illegal gratification through Sharda for ensuring no coercive action was taken against the complainant's business....