No arguments on charges to be heard, HC rules in Sumedh Saini case
More than four years after an FIR was registered against then Director-General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini in the Balwant Singh Multani adduction case, trial proceedings against him have come to a virtual halt for the time being.
Taking up his plea against the State of Punjab and other respondents, Justice Anoop Chitkara of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed that the arguments on charges will not be heard during the pendency of the petition before it.
Among other things, Saini had contended through counsel Sant Pal Sidhu and Rajat Dogra that the FIR registered in May 2020 amounted to malicious prosecution due to “declared political vendetta” against him by the then CM and his allies.
As the matter came up for resumed hearing, Justice Chitkara took note of non-filing of reply to the petition by the state. Fixing the matter for further hearing on December 10, the court directed the state to file its reply positively by November 30.
The petitioner’s counsel was also directed to file a detailed counter to the reply by the next date of hearing.
“It is clarified that in case counter to reply is not filed, the interim order passed by this court shall stand vacated automatically without any reference from this court. Also, in case reply is not filed by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, the Senior Superintendent of Police would do the same. It is further clarified that the arguments qua charges shall not be heard till the pendency of the present petition. Further proceedings beyond the stage of cognisance shall remain stayed. There is no stay of committal proceedings,” Justice Chitkara asserted.
Multani was declared proclaimed offender (PO) in an FIR registered in Chandigarh in 1991 following a bomb blast allegedly planned by militants to assassinate Saini. Three security personnel were killed and Saini was grievously injured.
Saini’s counsel Sidhu claimed that the allegations against him were part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by political figures
