Multani case: SC puts stay on arrest of former DGP Sumedh Saini

Multani case: SC puts stay on arrest of former DGP Sumedh Saini

Harshabab Sidhu
Nabaz-e-Punjab, Mohali, September 15:
Supreme Court today granted relief to former DGP Sumedh Saini by putting stay on his arrest in connection with the 29 years old case of Balwant Multani murder. Sani’s arrest is currently on hold and he has been directed to co-operate in the police investigation by the apex court.
Supreme Court’s bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and MR Shah today heard Saini’s anticipatory bail application. Saini’s petition was heard through video conferencing in the wake of the Covid-19. Saini had challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order on September 7, which had earlier rejected the former DGP’s application for anticipatory bail. Earlier, his bail was canceled in a Mohali session court.
Saini has argued in his petitions that the case is 29 years old. Earlier, the CBI had registered a case against him in this regard but during the hearing of the case, the National Investigation Agency could not present any concrete evidence against him in the Supreme Court. As a result, the Supreme Court granted relief to him and dismissed the case against him from the outset. But now on the orders of the Punjab government, a case has been registered against the victim’s family on the basis of a false complaint and they are being deliberately harassed and defamed. The case against him is purely politically motivated, he had said through the petition.
Taking part in the debate on behalf of Sumedh Saini, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi told the apex court, “This is a very serious matter. Saini was a hardworking officer. He was also shot while on duty. He was posted as SSP in Chandigarh when he was targeted by militants. An attempt was made to blow him up in a bomb blast.” The defense also argued that Multani was a fugitive in one case.
On the other hand, the Punjab Government and the Punjab Police gave constructive arguments against Saini’s bail application. The government had recently filed a caveat petition in the Supreme Court seeking the state’s side to be heard during the hearing of the former DGP’s anticipatory bail application. The state said Saini needs to be detained and questioned. Because after the case was registered, the accused did not co-operate with the police in the investigation. The police said the government had strong evidence that the youth had died in police custody.
The apex court, after hearing arguments from both the parties, stayed the arrest of the former DGP for the time being and asked Saini to co-operate fully in the police investigation.