Sumedh Singh Saini’s anticipatory bail plea dismissed

Mohali, September 1

In a big setback to former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, a local court today dismissed the anticipatory bail application in an alleged kidnapping and murder case of Balwant Singh Multani.

“Applicant Sumedh Singh Saini is guilty of a heinous crime and does not deserve extraordinary relief of anticipatory bail. His custodial interrogation is necessary to further investigate into the matter,” observed Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajnish Garg, while dismissing the bail application.

Saini was apprehending arrest in the case after the SIT added murder offence under Section 302 of the IPC to the FIR registered against him. The Section was added after two co-accused turned approvers and deposed against Saini of being an eyewitness to the alleged inhumane torture of Multani at Sector 17 police station.

Saini was given protection from arrest till final disposal of the bail application.

Earlier, former Inspector Jagir Singh and ASI Kuldep Singh, also co-accused with Saini, became approvers and were granted pardon in the case. Then, another person who was in the lockup along with Multani also became an approver. Saini and six other police officers were booked in a 29-year-old case of alleged abduction, torture and stage-managed elimination of Balwant Singh Multani, son of former IAS officer Darshan Singh Multani.

Balwant, the victim, was accused of carrying out an attack on Saini when he was the Chandigarh SSP on December 11, 1991. He, along with Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a convict in the Delhi bomb blast case, and two others, was booked but the police later claimed Balwant escaped from the custody of Qadian (Gurdaspur) police. — TNS