The adamant Punjab Government on Tuesday refused to transfer the State Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini before the impending lok Sabha polls.
But, the Government has decided to relegate Saini into the background for the time being by giving powers to the State Assistant Director General of Police (ADGP), (Information Technology and Telecom), CSR Reddy.
The development is significant as the Punjab Congress party has all along been demanding the transfer of the State police chief on the grounds of a pending criminal case against Saini, and the State election commission has sent its report on the issue to the Central commission. As per the earlier speculations that the State Government may ask Saini to proceed on leave before the model code of conduct came into force, the State Government has submitted with the Commission that it has given the election related responsibility to the ADGP-rank officer — CSR Reddy.
Earlier also, during the State Assembly polls in 2012, and the Panchayati Raj polls held the previous year, Reddy was given the charge of the State election cell. It has been learnt that the State Government was, in fact, ready with the names of the officers, who would replace Saini till the time he would remain on leave. The names included a 1981-batch IPS officer GD Panday, next to Saini; DGP prisons Reforms 1982-batch officer Sanjiv Gupta, a 1982-batch officer; and the state DGP-cum-Chief Director, Vigilance Bureau Suresh Arora, also the 1982-batch IPS officer.
Going into background of the matter, Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira, on February 4, had complained to the State CEO demanding that Saini be transferred from the post as Election Commission of India’s guidelines clearly laid down that any official who had been charge-sheeted in a crime and the case was pending in the court of law could not be deputed on an important election duty.
It is notable that a CBI court in Delhi had charge-sheeted DGP Sumedh Saini for kidnapping, abduction and disappearance of three persons belonging to a business family from ludhiana. The charges were framed against Saini in November 2006, after the Punjab and Haryana High Court transferred the investigation to the CBI. Khaira’s demand was backed by the State Congress leaders including Punjab party chief Partap Singh Bajwa, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari, Congress legislative party leader Sunil Jakhar, who submitted the memorandum with the Commission demanding Saini’s removal.
Even as the State Government replied to the CEO maintaining that “nothing was illegal or inappropriate” about Saini being posted as the state police chief during the polls, the final decision would be taken by the ECI once the model code of conduct come into force. State Government had maintained that two elections had already been held successfully since his appointment as the DGP, and the Punjab and Haryana HC had also upheld his appointment in a case filed by an NGO called Voices For Freedom.