Supreme Court reserves orders in anticipatory bail plea by ex-Punjab DGP

New Delhi, November 18: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved orders in an anticipatory bail plea by former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the Balwant Singh Multani disappearance case of 1991.

The court had in September given him protection from arrest in the case. 

A three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan reserved its judgment after a detailed hearing, The Hindu reported. The court had earlier questioned the Punjab government about its ‘hurry’ to arrest Saini in a case dating back to 1991.

In 1991, Multani was picked up after an attack on Saini and three police officers. The three died and Saini was grievously injured. The police later claimed that Multani had escaped custody and disappeared. However, murder charge was recently added to the case after two of the accused policemen in the case turned approvers. An FIR was registered against Saini on the basis of a compliant by Multani’s family.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier refused his plea for anticipatory bail.

On Tuesday, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for Saini, contended that his client was a decorated officer and suffered bullet injuries. He argued that the case against Saini was politically motivated.

Rohatgi said it has been 29 years since Multani had ‘escaped’ from custody. He said Mr. Saini was an SSP at the time of the attack. Multani, on the other hand, was a proclaimed offender.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, for the Punjab government, objected to the plea for bail. He said Saini was still an influential person with power to intimidate witnesses.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/supreme-court-reserves-orders-in-anticipatory-bail-plea-by-ex-punjab-dgp/article33121180.ece