1991 abduction case: Four Punjab cops seek anticipatory bail

These cops had been booked along with former DGP Saini; decision on their applications likely today

Four policemen, booked along with former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini in a case related to the disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani, a Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation (CITCO) employee in 1991, moved an anticipatory bail application on Monday.

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The four are sub-inspectors Har Sahai Sharma, Jagir Singh and Anoop Singh and ASI Kuldip Singh.

The court of additional district and sessions judge Monika Goyal is likely to decide on the application on Tuesday. Saini had been granted anticipatory bail last week.

In their anticipatory bail plea, the accused have said that after arrest from near the KC Theatre on December 13, 1991, and the recovery of some weapons on Multani’s behest, he was handed over to the Qadian police station from where he had escaped.

Opposing the anticipatory bail, district attorney Sanjiv Batra, submitted that Multani was picked up from his house in Phase 7 and produced two witnesses to back his claim. Advocate Pradeep Virk, counsel for the complainant, said Multani’s signatures on the arrest memo were forged. “The signatures do not match and to prove that we have submitted documents from CITCO, where Multani worked,” he added.

Earlier in the day, the hearing of arguments on the anticipatory bail plea was delayed, after the prosecution sought transfer of the application, in a verbal submission to additional district and sessions judge, Monika Goyal. They had even met the district sessions judge in this regard, but no written request was made. After a delay of around 30 minutes, arguments were made before the same court.