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Kotkapura firing: Fearing arrest, Saini seeks advancing of hearing on 2018 plea after SIT summons
SIT summons ex-DGP for voice analysis test at Forensic Science Laboratory, New Delhi, on September 6
Former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini has moved the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking advancing of hearing in a plea filed by him in 2018 after Punjab Police SIT served him a notice for appearance on September 6.
The notice says SIT wants to conduct his voice analysis test as it feels that he is intentionally concealing some important facts about the case. Besides Saini, the SIT has also summoned former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma and suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal on the same date. But Umranangal has not been asked to give voice samples in the summons.
The SIT is likely to use these samples for Layered Voice Analysis (LVA), which is a technology used as a tool for helping detect stress and other emotions by analysis of the human voice.
The 2018 plea demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into FIRs registered against him during the present Congress regime. On this plea, the court had directed that Saini be given a week’s prior notice in the event of his arrest in a case in connection with his service period.
The case was to be taken up on September 9, but in the fresh plea, Saini says he has received a letter from the special investigation team (SIT) regarding FIRs registered in connection with the alleged police firing on protesters in 2015 in Kotkapura, to appear at the Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini, New Delhi, on September 6.
Saini apprehends that he will again be detained by Punjab Police in some other case like earlier when he went to comply with high court orders. Hence, advancing of hearing in the 2018 plea be allowed. The application will be taken up by the bench of justice Arun Kumar Tyagi on Tuesday.
Saini was arrested by Punjab Police when he had gone to join investigation into a September 2020 corruption case on August 18. A day later, the high court termed his arrest illegal and in violation of high court orders on a plea moved by his wife and ordered his release.
He has also moved another application seeking permission to place before the court purported videos of some interviews given by Punjab Police officers in which he claims they are levelling allegations against the court of passing the August 19 order “in a tearing hurry” and in “a pre-determined manner by not affording any opportunity” of hearing to state vigilance. These interviews are being circulated on the social media, he has submitted in the application. This application too will be taken up on Tuesday.
