SC reserves order on Punjab ex-DGP Saini's anticipatory bail plea in murder case

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 17

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its order on former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini's petition seeking anticipatory bail in the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani murder case.

After hearing arguments from senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Saini and senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the Punjab Government, a Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said it would pass a reasoned order.

The Supreme Court had on September 15 granted interim protection from arrest to Saini and posted his plea for anticipatory bail for hearing after four weeks.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on September 7 dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

"This case is of 1991. After 30 years what is the hurry to arrest him...We will grant you time to file a reply," the Bench had said, adding that he would not be arrested till further orders.

However, the top court had asked Saini to cooperate with Punjab Police in the investigation of the case.

Multani - a junior engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation - was allegedly picked up by the police in December 1991 after a terror attack on Saini that left three policemen killed. Saini was injured in the attack.

Saini’s troubles started in May when he was booked at a police station in Mohali along with six others for the alleged kidnapping of Multani in 1991. The murder charge was added in August after two of the accused policemen spilled the beans.

Rohatgi had earlier contended that the Punjab government was after Saini because he had filed two chargesheets in which Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was an accused. "This is why they are after me," he had submitted.

In a separate petition, Saini has also challenged a Punjab and Haryana High Court order dismissing his plea for quashing of the FIR in the case.

He is also facing trial in a Special CBI Court in Delhi along with three others for alleged kidnapping and disappearance of automobile businessman Vinod Kumar, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar and their driver Mukhtiyar Singh in 1994.