Multani murder: SC refuses to quash fresh FIR against Saini

The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini’s petition seeking quashing of a fresh FIR lodged against in connection with the 1991 disappearance and murder of junior engineer Balwant Singh Multani, saying a charge sheet had already been filed in the case.

In view of the subsequent development of a charge sheet having been filed in the case, it would not like to interfere with the FIR, a Bench led by Justice MM Sundresh told senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Saini.

However, it clarified that the observations and findings of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in its September 8, 2020 verdict will not come in the way of proceedings before the trial court.

Rohatgi urged the top court to quash the FIR on the grounds that it was lodged in 2020 due to political reasons -- decades after the alleged incident.

Describing Saini as a “decorated officer”, he sought to emphasise that time and again this court had granted him relief and even protected him from coercive action in the case.

However, the Bench said as the charge sheet had already been filed, it can’t quash the FIR at this stage.

Multani -- a junior engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation -- was allegedly picked up by the police in December 1991 after a terror attack on Saini that left three policemen killed. Saini was injured in the attack. Saini’s troubles started in May 2020 when he was booked at a police station in Mohali along with six others for the alleged kidnapping of Multani in 1991. Murder charge was added in August after two of the accused policemen spilled the beans.

The Supreme Court had on December 3, 2020 granted him anticipatory bail in the fresh case lodged in the 1991 disappearance and murder of Multani after setting aside an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court declining him the pre-arrest bail in the case, saying long delay in lodging of the FIR can certainly be a valid consideration for grant of anticipatory bail.

Saini is also facing trial in a Special CBI Court in Delhi along with three others for alleged abduction and disappearance of automobile businessman Vinod Kumar, his brother-in-law Ashok Kumar and their driver Mukhtiyar Singh in 1994.