DGP Sumedh Singh Saini

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 3

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani murder case, “considering the fact that the impugned FIR has been lodged by the brother of the deceased after a period of almost 29 years from the date of incident”.

“We are of the opinion that the appellant (Saini) has made out a case for anticipatory bail,” said a Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, which had on September 15 granted him interim protection from arrest.

It also took note of the fact that the offence of murder under IPC Section 302 was added subsequently to the case on the basis of the statements of Jagir Singh and Kuldip Singh, who turned approvers in the case. The top court, however, asked Saini to surrender his passport, co-operate with the investigation. If arrested, the former Punjab DGP would be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties in the like amount, it said.

Multani, a junior engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation, was allegedly picked up by the police in December 1991 after a terror attack on Saini that left three policemen killed. Saini was injured in the attack.

Saini’s troubles started in May when he was booked at a police station in Mohali along with six others for the alleged kidnapping of Multani in 1991. The murder charge was added in August after two of the accused policemen spilled the beans.