Chandigarh, March 5
Punjab Chief Electoral Officer VK Singh today virtually admitted that he visited Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini at the latter’s residence. He, however, tried to play down the incident, saying it was not as big an issue as it was made out by the Opposition and the media.

“If a person is in a position of authority, his authority has to be accepted,” he said. He was talking to mediapersons after announcing the Lok Sabha poll schedule for Punjab at a press conference.

His virtual admission of having met the DGP has belied claims of senior Punjab Police officers that the DGP was ensconced in a meeting with them on February 17 and that he had not met VK Singh.

VK Singh has been accused by the Congress of playing a partisan role while sending the state government’s report on the DGP to the Election Commission.

He was accused by Punjab Congress spokesperson Sukhpal Khaira of having met DGP Saini at his residence on February 17-three days before he forwarded a report filed by state government saying Saini need not be removed as the DGP of Punjab. The Congress had demanded that the DGP be removed as he had been chargesheeted in a criminal case. The CEO forwarded the report to the EC on February 20, after writing his own comments on the issue. The issue of the CEO having met the DGP was also taken up by the Congress with the Chief Election Commissioner, who later let off the CEO with a warning.

When asked why he did not seek transfer of DGP Saini while another officer, SS Mand, was transferred at the Election Commission’s behest, VK Singh said both officers were accused of transferring money on behalf of the Akalis during the 2012 elections and all documents relating to the case were forwarded to the EC for necessary action. On giving a clean chit to the DGP on the transfer issue, he said, “There were no complaints against the DGP during the Moga byelection.”