Being lured by Pinki at Chahal’s behest to depose against Saini: UT ex-cops
CHANDIGARH: In a new twist in the 32-year-old disappearance case of a CITCO employee, Balwant Singh Multani, registered against former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini, two retired inspectors of the Chandigarh Police, also co-accused in the case, came out with audio recordings that they were being lured to give statement against Saini by dismissed Punjab Police cop Gurmeet Singh “Pinki” at the behest of chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s political advisor Bharat Inder Singh Chahal.
In their complaint to Punjab Police director general of police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta and his Chandigarh counterpart Sanjay Beniwal, retired inspectors Anokh Singh and Jagir Singh claimed that they were invited by Pinki at his farmhouse near Landran on June 3 and 6 where he offered jobs of sub-inspector in Punjab Police to their children on behalf of Chahal.
Pinki, a dismissed inspector of Punjab Police who was once close to Saini, is the second witness in the case registered at the Mataur police station in Mohali on May 6. His interview to a private channel in 2015, in which he said he had seen Saini torturing Multani, also findsmentioninthefirregistered against EX-DGP and eight retired officials of Chandigarh Police.
The case pertains to kidnapping of Multani, son of an EX-IAS officer, who was allegedly tortured and went missing after he was picked up by Chandigarh Police after a terrorist attack on Saini in 1991 when he was the Chandigarh SSP.
In the audio recordings, the
transcript of which has been submitted along with a written complaint, Pinki is heard telling the ex-cops that the case was registered against Saini as Chahal wanted to avenge his humiliation as he (Saini) had booked him in a corruption case when he was the vigilance chief. “Bharat is a
sachaa-pakka (true to his words) jatt and he wants to avenge the torture which he met during his probe by the vigilance bureau. You are not the targets as revenge has to be taken from Saini only. He had promise me to settle my son also and has asked me to convey to you that your children would also get jobs in the police,” Pinki is heard telling both the ex-cops in the audio CD.
Pinki is heard mentioning that Bharat has already settled scores with ex-ssps of vigilance bureau, Surjeet Singh Grewal and Shiv Kumar and Grewal, who are in jail for the past two years.
The ex-inspectors have also given affidavits of the CDS authentication, which they claimed were recorded during their two meetings with Pinki on June 3 and June 6.
“We knew Pinki already and started getting offers via common persons. We recorded this conversation because we were suspicious that he may use our presence at his farmhouse to influence the case as he was the main witness. He even assured us that he will call Chahal in the next meeting,” Anokh Singh said.
Pinki also told them that the head of the SIT conducting probe against Saini and others, IPS officer Harmandeep Singh Hans, was a “shareef afsar” and would follow Chahal to record their statement as they want.
Pinki did not reply to repeated calls and text messages.
Chahal, when contacted, said he did not know any Pinky. “Which Pinky you are referring to? I don’t know any pinki shinki,” said Chahal, when asked for his reference in the audio.
Pinki also claimed in the audio that first witness in the case GK Maan, who had been claiming that she had met Multani in the Sector 17 Police station in an injured condition, was lying.
The retired inspectors have demanded a fair probe into the audio recordings, saying that they were being framed in the 32-year old case because Chahal wants to settle scores with Saini.