In the latest development to controversial land fraud case against former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered his immediate release from the custody of the Vigilance Bureau citing the arrest as illegal.
On August 18, Saini was arrested by the state's Vigilance Bureau in connection with a case filed in September 2020 for cheating, forgery, and other crimes.
His arrest, the Bench decided, violated previous rulings and an anticipatory bail order. Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi's court ordered that Saini be released immediately.
Counsel APS Deol said Saini's arrest in the September 2020 case was "illegal and unjustified" according to the top court. If he is to be arrested in this case, he must be given
seven days' notice, according to the lawyer.
According to the court, there was a "flagrant misuse of power by police and misuse of power by the vigilance," said Mr Deol.
The order for Saini's immediate release came after the High Court looked into two petitions, one submitted by Saini for extension of protection in all cases and another filed for his release.
Former DGP was arrested under sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 468 (forgery for cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to the Vigilance Bureau.
In September 2020, a complaint was filed against Davinder Singh Sandhu, director of WWICS Estates Private Ltd, Ashok Sikka, a retired PCS officer, and other local government employees for illegally changing the land use of a piece of land in Kurali using forged documents.
PWD XEN Nimratdeep Singh and his father Jaspal Singh were also named by the VB in the case. The VB stated that the money Jaspal received from the land sale was used to purchase the property in Sector 20 where Saini was residing.
A fake rent agreement between Saini and Jaspal was displayed. Saini then bought the house and paid some money to Jaspal, according to the VB investigation.