Punjab ex-DGP Sumedh Singh Saini arrested in disproportionate assets case

Reports, which could not be confirmed, suggested Saini was arrested by the VB in connection with “fresh FIR” relating to alleged irregularities in “recruitment of constables in Punjab Police”.

Stating that Saini was a Z-plus category protectee — “meaning there is no chance of his absconding”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier granted him interim anticipatory bail in the corruption case. The court had also directed Saini to surrender his passport and join the investigation within a week.

Saini’s counsel said the former DGP had gone to join the probe in that case as per court orders when he was arrested. Terming the arrest illegal, he added that according to a High Court order issued last year, a seven-day notice had to be given to Saini before arresting him in any case pertaining to any incident during his service career.

A top functionary of the Punjab Police said, “He was formally arrested in another case for having committed forgery in order to stall the process of attachment of house no. 3048, Sector 20-D, Chandigarh, by the court of Special Judge Mohali. Saini has been claiming to be a tenant in the house after his retirement.”

Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) had on August 2 booked Saini and six others in a corruption and disproportionate case registered at Phase-I Vigilance Bureau police station in Mohali.

A 1982-batch IPS officer, Saini was appointed DGP in 2012. He was removed from the post in 2015 after protests erupted over a series of sacrilege incidents, and retired in 2018.