Suspense continued to prevail on Punjab former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini’s fate till late evening with the Punjab and Haryana High Court reserving its verdict earlier during the day on habeas corpus and another petition.
His wife had moved the High Court seeking Saini’s release who was arrested on late Wednesday evening in a cheating and a forgery case by the Vigilance Bureau.
Earlier during the day, Saini was produced before a Mohali court. Saini remained at the Mohali court complex waiting for the High Court orders till late night which would enable the lower court Judge to proceed in the matter.
Notably, the arrest of Saini, who has been granted protection in several other cases including the “sensitive” matter of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in 2015 and the related police firings, came on late Wednesday evening outside the Punjab Vigilance office in Mohali.
Vigilance claimed that the arrest was not planned. Saini — who has been dodging the state police force since long with the protection of at least five bail orders by the High Court — fell into a trap while making a disastrous attempt to outwit the force he had headed at one point of time.
Saini had reached Vigilance Bureau’s office at around 8 pm in Mohali to join the investigation in a disproportionate assets case registered against him, but he was apprehended while he continued to sit in his vehicle. He reportedly also refused to get out from his vehicle when the VB sleuths tried to take him out.
By early Thursday morning, pictures of Saini behind the bars, sporting a white beard, sitting on the floor, went viral. And these are the pictures that may prove to be a turning point for the ruling Congress.
With his arrest, the Congress-ruled Punjab Government has strengthened its foothold on the political turf, at least to some extent, with the ensuing assembly polls just about five months away. In fact, it has given a much-needed leverage to the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who has been dubbed as a non-performer during his current regime, not only by the rivals but also by his own party men.
As per the Vigilance Bureau’s official statement, Saini has been arrested in a corruption case in which he and several others were booked in September 2020 for allegedly getting agriculture land, including area lying in a natural choe (stream), certified as a regular residential colony.
It has also been learnt that hours before Saini was arrested, he had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions for extension of blanket bail to him in all cases.
Punjab Vigilance Bureau, on Wednesday evening, arrested the former state police chief Saini in a case under sections 409, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 7(A)(B)(C) and 7-A, 13(1) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, registered on September 17, 2020, at VB Police Station.
Besides, the VB also registered a “fresh” case against Saini regarding a “fake” ‘agreement to sell’ of House No 3048, Sector 20-D, Chandigarh, to protect the attachment of property in the Court.
VB spokesperson on Thursday said that the Director of WWICS Estates Private Limited Davinder Singh Sandhu has also been arrested for colluding with Deputy Director Ashok Sika PCS, now retired, and Senior Town Planner Sagar Bhatia, now retired and others officials of Local Government for illegally converting an agriculture land into residential colonies namely Green Meadows-1 and Meadows-2 at Kurali, SAS district, by fraudulently hiding the actual facts and showing fake documents in 2013.
In this regard, a case had been registered under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of IPC and 7(A)(B)(C) and 7-A, 13(1) r/w 13(2) Prevention of Corruption Act-1988 on September 17, 2020, at Police Station, SAS Nagar, against all the mentioned accused.
Giving details of the case, VB spokesperson said that during the probe, it came out that Davinder Singh Sandhu was known to PWD Executive Engineer Nimardeep Singh, who is well known to the higher authorities.
In this connection, Nimardeep Singh received a bribe amount to the tune of Rs six crore from Davinder Singh Sandhu for getting the said colonies certified. Thereafter, Nirmardeep Singh, his father Surinderjeet Singh Jaspal and their aides Taranjeet Singh Aneja and Mohit Puri have also been nominated as accused in this land use conversion case.
“During the investigation, it has came to light that Nimardeep Singh had purchased a two Kanal House No 3048, Sector 20-D Chandigarh and rebuilt the same house after demolishing in September 2017 with the same bribe money (Rs six crore),” said the spokesperson.
On being questioned, he revealed that the former DGP is residing as a “tenant” on the first floor of the house from October 15, 2018, and paying a rent of Rs 2.50 lakh per month for the rented first floor.
After analyzing the financial transactions of Surinderjit Singh Jaspal and Sumedh Singh Saini’s bank account, it has came to the fore that Saini has transferred Rs six crore and Rs 40 lakhs to the accused Nirmandeep Singh and Surinderjeet Singh Jaspal in their bank accounts from August 2018 to August 2020, said the spokesperson adding that this amount was not given in accordance with the rent deed.
Spokesperson highlighted that the accused further presented a new fact after deliberate conspiracy with Saini that the tenant wanted to purchase the same house; and in this context, accused have done verbal agreement with tenant Saini. But as the new facts emerged during the probe, the accused furnished a copy of ‘agreement to sell’ which was executed on October 2, 2019, owing to prevent their attachment of property in the local court. “This agreement was signed between Saini and Surinderjeet Singh Jaspal on plain paper without any testimony,” added the spokesperson.
Spokesperson said that “this fake agreement to sell of House No 3048, Sector 20-D, Chandigarh was prepared by mutual consent between the accused Surinderjeet Singh Jaspal and Saini to protect the attachment of their house in the court and used this as a value security. In this regard, Saini was arrested on Thursday”.
Saini has all along been alleging “political malafide” with his name being dragged not only in the sacrilege and related police firing incidents, but also series of vigilance cases, especially after his retirement in 2018. This is the fourth case registered against Saini during the current Congress regime. In all other cases, Saini has managed to secure blanket bails.