Court rejects former DGP Saini’s bail plea in corruption case
On Aug 2, vigilance had booked Saini for buying a house in a ‘fraudulent deal with fake documents’
MOHALI: A Mohali court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini in a corruption case registered by the state vigilance bureau, observing that allegations against him are gravest in nature.
On August 2, the vigilance bureau had registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy against the former DGP along with six others, including public works department executive engineer Nimratdeep Singh and his father Surinderjit Singh Jaspal, who owned a house in Chandigarh’s Sector 20. The agency alleged that Saini acquired the house in a fraudulent deal with fake documents and questionable financial transactions.
“Contribution made by the petitioner in the discharge of his official duties does not give a licence or permit to the him to indulge in the alleged shady financial transactions/deals after his retirement as alleged in the FIR,” special judge Parminder Singh Grewal said to an argument that Saini has been in the forefront in terrorism days and served as the DGP.
The court observed that Saini transferred Rs 6.4 crore to the owner Jaspal between August 2018 and August 2020 and the amount has not been paid in accordance with the condition of the rent of Rs 2.5 lakh per month as claimed in the rent agreement.
The sale agreement of October 2019 was not on a stamp paper and is unregistered. Besides, it has no witness to it, the court observed, adding that the rent agreement has been executed as a cover-up.
It also took note of submissions that the rent was in excess to Rs 50,000 but according to norms, 10% TDS deduction to be made by Saini as per the income tax laws was not done.