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High court grants anticipatory bail to former Punjab DGP in corruption case
Sumedh Singh Saini moved the high court after his bail plea was dismissed by a Mohali court on August 6
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to former Punjab Police chief Sumedh Singh Saini in a corruption case.
He had moved the court on Wednesday.
The high court bench of justice Avneesh Jhingan after arguments from the state and his lawyers, had reserved the matter for the verdict, which was pronounced on Thursday.
“The former DGP has been granted anticipatory bail by the high court,” said senior advocate APS Deol, who appeared for him.
Saini’s bail plea was dismissed by a Mohali trial court on August 6.
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On August 2, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy against the former DGP along with six others, including PWD XEN Nimratdeep Singh and his father Surinderjit Singh Jaspal, who owned the Sector-20 house in Chandigarh. The agency alleged Saini acquired the house in a fraudulent deal with fake documents and questionable financial transactions. The trial court termed the allegations against him “gravest” in nature, warranting his custodial interrogation.
Saini has denied the allegation all along and claimed that he is being targeted as he was instrumental in probes against chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and some persons close to him, during the previous SAD-BJP regime.
This is the fourth FIR against him since his retirement by the incumbent government, he said. Saini argued that he bought the property for ₹10.25 crore and was not aware of the manner in which the house was acquired by its earlier owner.
