E-Paper
Punjab and Haryana HC dismisses bail plea of former AIG Malvinder
The court further recorded that another reason to disallow the bail is the evidence from an officer that he had impersonated and showed himself as inspector general of police and had asked for the caste certificate record of an employee posted in Rajpura
The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed the bail plea of former Punjab AIG (human rights) Malvinder Singh Sidhu in a corruption case filed in October 2023.
Sidhu was booked by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act on allegations that he with other accused persons were procuring schedule caste and schedule tribe certificates of various individuals, from different sources like their school, workplace etc. On the basis of this, they are illegally, unlawfully extracting and asking for money from these individuals by blackmailing them after misusing their positions/official posts.
The high court bench of justice Anoop Chitkara dismissed the plea observing that the call detail records (CDR) location of the petitioner was found present with co-accused on the place showing their presence which would prima facie point out towards the evidence that he was blackmailing the individuals on coming to know that they had obtained benefits because of the fake caste certificates.
The court further recorded that another reason to disallow the bail is the evidence from an officer that he had impersonated and showed himself as inspector general of police and had asked for the caste certificate record of an employee posted in Rajpura. “The very fact of petitioner who was posted as AIG referring himself as IGP, Vigilance would show malafide intention which would not entitle him to bail,” the bench said adding that besides, he was in custody for around two and a half months only which is also not long which would entitle him to bail on the ground of prolonged pre-trial incarceration.
Sidhu in the bail plea filed in December 2023 had submitted that he would not tamper with the evidence or hamper the investigation. He had also voluntarily declared his assets, further claiming that he was an honest officer and had been implicated in the case.
The state’s counsel, Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala had submitted that he is a senior PPS officer. In case, this court releases him on bail, he will certainly interfere with the investigation and tamper with the evidence. One of the co-accused is yet to be arrested and in case he is released on bail, he would further delay such arrest, Dhuriwala had submitted.
