Vigilance converges to arrest Sumedh Saini at his house in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab vigilance department sleuths here on Monday converged to attach the former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini’s residence at Chandigarh. The action came after Punjab vigilance registered a fresh FIR against former DGP in disproportionate assets and various sections of of prevention of corruption act.
Punjab vigilance sleuths searched the house of Sumedh Saini in the wake to arrest the former DGP.
Senior Vigilance Officer on the request of anonymity said, "a fresh FIR has been registered against Sumit Singh Saini after the Vigilance department collected fresh evidences of disproportionate asset and under various sections of prevention of corruption act for which the Vigilance today raided the house to arrest Saini."
Earlier, a local court in Mohali issued orders to attach the property in question on charges of disproportionate assets case being probed by the vigilance.
According to sources in vigilance department, the vigilance sleuths reached Saini’s house before noon and made an attempt to arrest him. Sources also added that it was not confirmed that weather Saini was at home during the raid or not. Sources further added that the Z+ security of Sumedh Saini did not allow vigilance sleuths to enter the house but later with the intervention of high level officers and under presence of counsels of Saini, vigilance sleuths entered the house.
The orders for the attachment of the property, a house where Saini resides in Sector Chandigarh were issued by the additional district and session judge P S Grewal on July 16 and the court also directed Saini to deposit monthly rent to the tune of Rs 2.5 lakh with the court till the case proceedings are not over.
The case pertains to purchasing of the property using the tainted money on behest of former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, as the case was probed by the state vigilance department after which the department filed an application in the court seeking attachment of the property.
According to the case files, the case has been put before the court alleging that basically the allegations are that Nimrat Deep Singh serving XEN of Punjab government had obtained bribe and tainted money in the name of his father, and in connivance with his father Surinder Jeet Singh Jaspal. With this tainted money house number 3048 sector 20 – D Chandigarh was purchased, in the name of Surinder Jeet Singh Jaspal. However, it was actually purchased for Sumedh Singh Saini who retired and was therefore shown to have been given to him on rent after renovations in October 2018.
The application further reads that the house was actually meant for Sumedh Saini and he has been paying money to Surinder Jeet Singh Jaspal. No money in the shape of rent has ever been received and instead is some of Rs 6.4 Crores was paid by Saini to Surinder G Singh Jaspal without any agreement to sell. Later a fabricated agreement to sell has been placed on record which is neither on stamp paper, nor attested by any witness and is signed only by Sumeet Singh Sani and Surinder G Singh Jaspal.
As the Property is obtained with proceeds of crime and tainted money and application was filed by the investigating officer to get the same attached under the provisions of the criminal Law amendment ordinance 1944 as per section 18 – A of PC act 1988 as amended by the act of 2018.
Saini is also facing murder charges of UT CITCO Junior Engineer and son of a former IAS officer Balwant Singh Multani when Saini was serving as SSP Chandigarh. Saini was booked by Mohali police at Mataur police station under section 302 of the IPC and before that Saini managed blanket orders of anticipatory bail before murder charges were added to the FIR.
On December 22, 2020, the Mohali police had filed a charge sheet against former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini on kidnapping, disappearance and murder of Balwant Singh Multani, son of a former IAS officer and then serving as an employee with CITCO. Police have filed a 500 pages chargesheet only against Saini at present leaving other accused a side to be charged later.
Saini has been charged with 302 (murder), 201 (disappearance of evidence), 219 (Public servant corruptly or maliciously makes a report in contrary to law), 344 (wrongful confinement), 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession or to compel), 364 (Kidnapping) and 120-B (conspiracy).