3 former UT cops’ petition to turn approver rejected

MOHALI : A Mohali court on Friday rejected the applications of three co-accused in the Balwant Singh Multani disappearance case to turn approver to seek pardon.

The then inspector Jagir Singh, sub-inspector Harsahai Sharma and assistant sub inspector (ASI) Kuldeep Singh had filed an application in the court seeking permission to turn approvers.

They along with former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini were booked on May 6 this year for the disappearance of Multani, a Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation (CITCO) employee, in 1991. Saini is the prime accused in the case.

Chief judicial magistrate Deepika Singh said the special investigation team (SIT) looking into the case can make a request in the court for pardoning the accused.

“In the present scenario, it would be proper if the investigating agency independently applies its mind and moves an application for grant of pardon that no direct evidence is available with them. The agency should consider if it can collect the evidences so as to put all the accused on trial or make some of them as approver,” the court observed.

Now, the SIT will file a petition on behalf of the three accused to turn approvers in the case, it is learnt.

All the three former UT cops had recorded their statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) before the judicial magistrates in Mohali on different dates.

While Jagir Singh had recorded his statement before judicial magistrate Amit Bakshi, Harsahai Sharma and Kuldeep Singh did the same before judicial magistrate Harjinder Kaur.

Jagir Singh is also a co-accused along with then inspector Anokh Singh in another first information report (FIR) in the same episode registered at the Kharar Sadar police station in Mohali district on July 27 this year on charges of fabricating the evidences booked under Section 195-A (fabricating evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on the complaint of Kharar (Sadar) station house officer, inspector Sukhvir Singh. Anokh was arrested and was sent to judicial custody after being on three-day police remand.

Jagir and Anokh Singh are also co-accused in the previous FIR registered at the Mataur police station against Saini in alleged disappearance of Multani. The two had got bail in this case.

THE THREE ALONG WITH FORMER PUNJAB DGP SUMEDH SINGH SAINI WERE BOOKED ON MAY 6 THIS YEAR; JUDGE SAYS SIT PROBING THE CASE CAN MAKE A REQUEST IN THE COURT FOR THEIR PARDON