Former Punjab DGP Saini accuses state government of vendetta in Behbal Kalan-Kotkapura cases

Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service
Faridkot, February 12

Accusing the state government of vendetta which led to his implication in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing cases of October 2015, former DGP Punjab Sumedh Singh Saini in his anticipatory bail application in the court of District and Sessions judge alleged that some leaders in Congress party were annoyed with him as number of criminal cases were registered against these leaders during his tenure as head of state vigilance bureau.

During his career as a head of state vigilance bureau from 2007 to 2012, a number of cases were registered against Capt Amarinder Singh, his son and relatives as well as other influential persons like former Cabinet ministers, alleged counsel for Saini in his arguments before the court.

These cases irked the political party in power in the state and it started looking for some dues to falsely implicate him in some criminal case.

The present FIR and his nomination in this case is nothing but a step towards the said vendetta, his counsel said.

Seeking anticipatory bail for Saini, his counsel argued that after the change of the government in the state, one member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police turned the entire events in such a manner to give a colour of criminal conspiracy to an act done by Saini in discharge of his official duty.

Denying anticipatory bail to Saini, the orders of District and Sessions Judge Faridkot were available today morning.

As per this order, the counsel for Saini argued that there was not even an iota of evidence against Saini depicting his involvement and that all the acts which have been done by him were in discharge of his official duty to prevent law and order situation arising out of the incident of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan.

Counsel for Saini relied on various orders passed by the District Magistrate Faridkot to project the gravity of the situation, which compelled imposition of Section 144 CrPC, for maintaining law and order situation in the area covering Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan.

However, to oppose anticipatory bail to Saini, the District Attorney relied on the call details exchanged between Saini and many other co-accused at and around the time of police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura on October 14, 2015.

The attorney also relied upon the statement of accused-turned-approver in the case, Inspector Pardeep Singh. The court has already granted pardon to the accused Inspector Pardeep Singh and has arrayed him as the prosecution witness in this FIR.

While denying anticipatory bail to Saini, the court in its order observed that the  prime allegations against Saini was that he along with other co-accused masterminded the conspiracy and it is upon his orders that the incident of firing took place, which resulted into the loss of life of two individuals.

The supplementary challan presented against the present petitioner also indicates that the said statement of Inspector Pardeep Singh is also being used by the investigating agency and to project the allegations of criminal conspiracy designed by the petitioner, which led to Behbal Kalan incident.

The investigating team has also collected evidence hinting at offence qua fabricating of evidence by the co-accused at the instance of Saini, especially the Gypsy of Charanjit Singh co-accused viz-a-viz the role of co-accused Sohail Singh Brar and Pankaj Bansal, at the instance of Saini.

The statement of Inspector Pardeep Singh on September 3, 2020 also referred to above gives details of the involvement of Saini and other co-accused.

The investigating team has collected evidence in the shape of call records, which are also hinted in the statement of Inspector Pardeep Singh relied upon by the investigating agency in this case.