Krishanu Sharda, a national-level hockey player who landed in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) net in a bribery scandal relating to DIG Ropar range, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, was known in police and political circles as a smooth talker, capable of ‘getting any work done.’
The 29-year-old player from Nabha, who represented Chandigarh at the 2023 senior nationals, was arrested by CBI on Thursday for allegedly acting as the ‘middleman’ for Bhullar in an ₹8-lakh bribery deal.
Investigators say he was the crucial link, the ‘deal broker’ who negotiated, communicated, and collected money on behalf of the DIG.
Once a promising hockey player, a centre forward, Krishanu’s life took a sharp turn after he left sports. In his hometown, Nabha in Patiala district, he reinvented himself over the past few years as a man who could ‘fix’ police matters for the public at large. Locals, who didn’t wish to be named, say he became the go-to person for anyone seeking help in ‘managing’ police cases from clearing names in FIRs to expediting arms license approvals.
“If someone had a pending police case or verification issue, they would go to Krishanu. He had contacts from SHO-level to senior officers,” said a Nabha resident familiar with his activities.
The complaint on Thursday revealed a recorded WhatsApp call between the middleman, Kirshanu, and Bhullar in which the senior officer gave explicit instructions: “8 fadne ne 8 (collect ₹8 lakh from him)” and “Jinna denda nal nal fadi chal, ohnu kehde 8 kar de pura (collect whatever he gives. Ask him to give ₹8 lakh in total).”
Kirshanu was arrested from Sector 9D market in Chandigarh on Thursday. His call further implicated the cop in an exchange with the complainant: “Edda kehna pata ki hai… kehnda hai August da ni aaya, September da ni aaya (You know what he says. Ask him that he didn’t give the bribe for August and September).” The agency has also recovered ₹21 lakh in cash and incriminating documents from Krishanu’s possession.