Former Director-General of Punjab Police Sumedh Singh Saini approached the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail on Thursday. Saini who once chased Khalistani terrorists, is now on the run and being chased by Punjab police personnel after Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application on September 8.
The state has initiated the process to declare him a proclaimed offender. The former super cop is facing arrest charges in the 1991 case of Balwant Singh Multani’s abduction, custodial torture, murder and disposal of dead body. Leaving behind his Z-plus security, Saini continued to remain elusive on Thursday even as the state police conducted multiple raids across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.
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A Special Investigation Team (SIT) carried out raids at four places in Delhi on Thursday. An official told Outlook , “They (SIT) got information about another house in Panchsheel Park in Delhi where Saini could be found. That house was searched but Saini could not be traced at any of the places searched by SIT. Officials told that on Wednesday as well raids were carried out at residences of various associates of former DGP and at various places including Delhi, Mohali, Kaimbwala, Hoshiarpur and Dabawali (Haryana)".
The official added that the SIT has to now pull up their socks as pressure is mounting on the Punjab Police to arrest Saini.
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Some of the opposition parties have alleged that the police is not serious about Saini’s arrest and he was allowed to go missing even though he had Z-plus security cover.
Meanwhile a 26-year-old case of abduction and disappearance against him in Delhi is lined up for hearing in the national capital before a CBI Special Court on Thursday. Saini has no protection from arrest in the FIR registered against him for alleged illegal abduction, detention, torture and custodial deaths.
In Delhi, Saini is facing a trial along with three others for alleged abduction of automobile businessman Vinod Kumar, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar and their driver Mukhtiyar Singh. While Vinod and Mukhtiyar were picked up by the police from the parking lot of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 15, 1994, Ashok was allegedly abducted from Ludhiana the same day.
The CBI has already filed an application seeking cancellation of exemption from personal appearance given to Saini. Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal is likely to take up CBI's plea. This criminal case was registered against Saini and others by CBI on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 24, 1994. It was transferred to Delhi by the Supreme Court in 2004 after Vinod’s mother Amar Kaur expressed apprehension that Saini might influence witnesses.
