Multani disappearance case: Trial court proceedings against ex-DGP Saini stayed till Jan 21
Saini was booked in May 2020, almost 30 years after Balwant Singh Multani went missing, during the regime of the Congress government in Punjab
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday extended the stay on trial court proceedings against former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini till January 21 in connection with the disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani in 1991. The detailed order is awaited.
Saini’s counsel Sant Pal Singh Sidhu confirmed the development. Saini has sought from the high court quashing of the FIR and the subsequent chargesheet filed by the Punjab Police. The trial court proceedings were stayed on November 25.
Multani, then employed by the Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation (CITCO), was allegedly picked up by two officers in 1991 after a terrorist attack on Saini, who then was Chandigarh senior superintendent of police (SSP), in which four policemen in his security were killed. The police later claimed that Multani escaped from the custody of the Qadian police. Saini was booked in May 2020, almost 30 years after Multani went missing, during the regime of the Congress government in Punjab. Saini and six others were booked on the complaint of Multani’s brother Palwinder Singh Multani who is a resident of Jalandhar.
In the chargesheet, murder charges were also invoked. Saini secured anticipatory bail from the Supreme Court on December 3, 2020. Saini has claimed in his plea that the case was instituted with malafide and with the ulterior motive of “wreaking vengeance at the behest of political dispensation” ruling at the time of FIR registration.
The Punjab Police, in response to his plea, said that allegations against him stands duly proved during the course of investigation and a challan has been submitted before the trial court. The registration of the FIR is not an outcome of the political vendetta as alleged by the petitioner, the police have claimed, adding that even though allegations have been levelled against the then chief minister of the Congress government and officials, they have not been roped in as parties in the case.
On the other hand, Multani’s brother, in response to Saini’s plea, has submitted that the petition is not maintainable as the prayer made is for quashing of the FIR as well as the chargesheet, which is contrary to the liberty granted by the Supreme Court. Only chargesheet could have been challenged, the affidavit of the complainant brother says.
