VB to file recall petition against Sumedh Saini’s bail order

Chandigarh, August 21

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) has decided to file a recall petition in the High Court against the August 19 release orders of Sumedh Singh Saini in a land fraud case, and also against the court’s interim bail order of August 12 in the disproportionate assets case against the former DGP.

A spokesperson of the bureau said it would soon be moving the recall petitions in the two cases filed against Saini, a 1982-batch IPS officer.

The spokesperson said Saini was arrested on August 18 in the land fraud case when he went to the VB office late in the evening in connection with another case (disproportionate assets). Saini had gone to the VB office in accordance with the High Court orders awarding him interim bail subject to him joining the investigation in the FIR within seven days of grant of interim bail.

IO not informed

Saini intentionally exhausted the seven-day period during which he had to join the probe, and even then, he arrived at the Mohali office of the bureau without any information. —VB spokesperson

Pointing out that the ex-DGP had chosen to visit the VB office late in the evening on the last day of the seven-day period, an official spokesperson of the bureau said Saini had thus failed to follow the HC orders in letter and spirit. “Saini intentionally exhausted the seven-day period during which he had to join the investigation in accordance with the interim order in FIR no. 13, and even then, he arrived at the Sector 68 Mohali office of the bureau without any prior intimation to the IO. In fact, he intentionally did not go to the office of IO, VB, Sector-62, SAS Nagar,” said the spokesperson.

In these circumstances, the bureau had thus decided to file a petition before the court seeking the recall of the interim bail orders in the disproportionate assets case. The case relates to 35 properties and certain bank accounts of Nimratdeep, XEN, with balance and transactions worth Rs 100 crore, including some in crores of rupees with Saini, leading to his undue enrichment, and exhibiting that he held assets far exceeding his income.

The spokesperson further said sufficient ground was also made out in the land fraud case for the state to seek recall of the HC orders releasing Saini from detention. Firstly, Saini had been taken into custody not under FIR 13 (where he had got interim bail) but in case relating to FIR 11, in which he had no protection from arrest. The criminal acts in FIR no. 11 and FIR no. 13 were different, said the spokesperson.

Secondly, since Saini retired from service in June 2018 while the crime against him in illegal land fraud case related to 2021, he was not protected from arrest without notice by the said orders, said the spokesperson. — TNS

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.