Saini, Umranangal get anticipatory bail from high court

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has granted anticipatory bail to former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini and suspended inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal in the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing case observing that their custodial interrogation is not required in view of challan already presented before a trial court.

Allowing their pleas, the bench of justice Raj Mohan Singh observed that initially, an FIR was registered against Charanjit Singh, former SSP Moga, and in second supplementary challan, four more accused were nominated. It was only in third supplementary challan the two were nominated. The third supplementary challan has been presented against them without associating them with the probe. Hence, their custodial interrogation is not required, it added.

The high court was dealing with pleas from Saini and Umranangal, filed last month after dismissal of the same by the sessions court. They were chargesheeted by the special investigation team (SIT) of Punjab Police on January 15, which led to their summoning by a trial court. The HC has now asked them to appear before a judicial magistrate on March 8 and directed that in the event of arrest, they be released on bail. The judgment was pronounced on Monday and detailed order released on Tuesday.

The court observed that they were nominated as accused without making them to join the probe.