HC rejects bail plea, Saini faces arrest
CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab Police chief Sumedh Singh Saini faces arrest with the high court on Tuesday dismissing his anticipatory bail petition in the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani disappearance case.
The bench of justice Fatehdeep Singh also dismissed his second petition that sought the quashing of a first information report (FIR) in the case or the transfer of investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“Both petitions of the former DGP have been dismissed by the high court,” Punjab Police special public prosecutor Sartej Singh Narula said. Detailed judgments are awaited. The appeals in both the petitions have to be filed before the Supreme Court.
“We will be moving the apex court,” said, Saini’s lawyer, senior advocate, APS Deol. On September 1, a Mohali court had dismissed Saini’s anticipatory bail plea.
The former DGP, whose whereabouts are not known at present, was booked in May for the alleged kidnapping of Multani, a junior engineer with the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation (Citco) in 1991 and the son of a bureaucrat. Multani had been picked up by the police after a terrorist attack on Saini, the then Chandigarh senior superintendent of police.
Initially, the case against him was registered for offences of causing disappearance and abduction at Mataur police station in Mohali. Section 302 for murder charge was added in August after two policemen, initially named as accused, turned approver.
In his plea, Saini had argued that he was granted bail in the case when it was registered for kidnapping, hence, he should be granted anticipatory bail on addition of the murder charge, too.
He had also alleged ‘witch hunt’ by the present Congress government as he had initiated probe against some Congress leaders during his stint at vigilance bureau. As of police, it had denied allegations of political victimisation.