Faridkot court issues bailable arrest warrants against ex-DGP Saini

FARIDKOT: A day after Faridkot district and sessions judge refused to give interim relief from arrest to former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and suspended IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, the court of judicial magistrate on Tuesday issued bailable arrest warrants against them for March 1 after they failed to appear in the court in connection with the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing case.

However, Faridkot judicial magistrate Suresh Kumar withdrew bailable arrest warrants against Umranangal within a few hours after the high court granted him exemption from appearance. Saini and Umranangal were summoned to appear in the court of Faridkot judicial magistrate on Tuesday in connection with the supplementary chargesheet filed by the SIT against the two in the case. Both had filed anticipatory bail petitions in the court of district and sessions judge Sumeet Malhotra, who on Monday declined the defence counsel’s request to grant relief till the next hearing and adjourned the matter to February 11. Fearing arrest, Saini and Umranangal did not appear before the court.

Hearing an application moved by Umranangal, the HC directed the Faridkot court to defer the presence of the suspended IGP for the date fixed on February 9. Justice Girish Agnihotri said the application for anticipatory bail was filed on February 4 and was fixed for hearing on February 8 before the competent court. “It is further stated that the said application has now been adjourned for February 11. Therefore, in view of peculiar facts and circumstances, this court directs that appearance of the petitioner on February 9 in pursuance to the orders dated January 15, shall stand deferred,” he ordered.

“The offences were under Sections 302 and 307 of the IPC, which are warrant cases, and court could have issued nonbailable warrants. But still keeping in mind the directions of the high court to issue seven-day notice to them, this court issued notice of more than three weeks to both the accused to appear before the court. Hence, directions of the HC have been complied with, but both the accused are misusing the process of law by not appearing in the court,” said the Faridkot judicial magistrate.