Dolly Chopra
Chandigarh
The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered Sumedh Singh Saini, Punjab’s former Director-General of Police, to be released immediately just over 24 hours after he was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau.
Saini, who faced allegations of human rights abuse during terrorism in Punjab, is also facing two murder cases. Despite immense pressure on the Capt Amarinder Singh government from public and within his party to deal with Saini strictly, he was never arrested. He managed to give the slip to teams of the Vigilance Bureau on several occasions. Saini’s name also figures in the Behbal Kalan/Kotkapura police firing cases. His arrest is likely to trigger a political flurry in the state as he was considered close to the Shiromani Akali Dal.
A Vigilance official said Saini reached the VB office around 8 pm to join investigation in the corruption case. He had not informed officials that he would visit the Vigilance office. After questioning, the officials ordered his arrest. Saini’s lawyers reportedly accompanied him to the office. They were later asked to wait outside, while officials locked Saini in a room.
“We have arrested Saini. He has a corruption case against him besides another one,” a senior official confirmed, refusing to disclose details of the other case against him. “These will be known in due time,” he said. On August 17, Saini’s petition, seeking directions to the investigating officer not to arrest him for “any other additional offences” in the corruption case against him was dismissed as withdrawn by the Punjab and Haryana HC. He was directed to join the probe within a week.
Saini had also sought directions to the investigating officer to seek the court’s prior permission if the petitioner was sought to be arrested for “those additional offences”.
The Bench was told that the HC had granted interim bail to the petitioner in connection with FIR dated August 2 under the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with Sections 109 and 120-B of the IPC at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Phase-I, Mohali.