Punjab Vigilance Bureau to file recall petitions in HC against ex-DGP's release order in land fraud case

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Saturday has decided to file a recall petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the release orders of former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Saini in a land fraud case, and also against the court's interim bail in the disproportionate assets case.

The Bureau will soon be moving the recall petitions in the two cases filed against Saini, a 1982 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.

Saini was arrested on August 18 in the land fraud case in Mohali when he went to the Vigilance Bureau (VB) office in connection with another case of disproportionate assets.

Saini had gone to the VB office in accordance with the High Court (HC) orders awarding him interim bail subject to him joining the investigation in First Information Report (FIR) within seven days of the grant of interim bail.

Ordering Saini's interim bail, the court on August 12, stated that "For joining loose ends, if any with regard to the documentary evidence or banking transactions, this Court is of the opinion that custodial interrogation of the petitioner is not required. The petitioner is granted interim bail subject to his joining investigation within one week from today."

Former-DGP had chosen to visit the VB office late in the evening on the last day of the seven-day period.

"Saini intentionally exhausted the seven-day period during which he had to join the investigation in accordance with the interim order in FIR number 13, and even then he arrived at the Mohali office of the Bureau without any prior intimation to the Investigating officers (IO). He intentionally did not go to the office of I.O. Saini had thus failed to follow the HC orders in letter and spirit." stated the spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau.

In the circumstances, the Bureau had thus decided to file a petition before the court seeking the recall of the interim bail orders in the disproportionate assets case. The case relates to 35 properties and certain bank accounts of Nimratdeep XEN, with balance and transactions worth Rs 100 crores, including some in crores of rupees with Saini, leading to his undue enrichment, and exhibiting that he held assets far exceeding his income.

The spokesperson further said that sufficient ground was also made out in the land fraud case for the state to seek recall of the HC orders releasing Saini from detention.

Earlier, on August 19, HC had declared the detention of Saini "illegal in circumvented violation of protection orders.

The said land fraud case relates to Saini conspiring with Surinderjit Singh Jaspal to forge a property purchase agreement. The VB had charged Surinderjit Singh Jaspal, who is the father of Nimratdeep, and Sumedh Singh Saini with conspiracy to prevent attachment of house and had further accused them of creating a false agreement and using it as valuable security.

( With inputs from ANI )

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