Cases against Saini: HC extends stay order on probe till April 20

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday extended a September 2021 order staying probe in different FIRs against former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini till April 20.

The matter was taken up by the bench of justice Arvind Singh Sangwan, which deferred the hearing till April and also extended interim protection given to the former DGP.

The HC on September 9 gave protection to Saini terming it a case of “exceptional circumstances” and observing that “involvement of the petitioner in multiple cases can be a political ploy in wake of the assembly general elections” (which took place in February).

The HC ordered that there will be a clear stay on his arrest in all cases pending or likely to be registered except one FIR where the matter is pending before Supreme Court.

The court also stayed investigations against him observing that attempts are being made to arrest him. His personal appearance before any court where any trial was pending was also exempted.

The order was passed in a 2018 plea of the former DGP in which he was seeking blanket bail from high court and directions that FIRs registered or likely to be registered be transferred to the CBI as the incumbent government, then led by Capt Amarinder Singh, was allegedly acting out of vengeance against him.