The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed further proceedings against former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in the murder-missing case of Balwant Singh Multani.
The HC is hearing a petition filed by Saini seeking to quash it fir No. 77 was registered on May 6, 2020, against former Punjab DGP Saini and six other policemen in the case of disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani, who was a junior engineer. Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation at Police Station, Mataur.
The bench of Justice Anoop Chitkara, which is hearing the case, has asked the State of Punjab to file its reply by 30 November 2024.
The petitioner’s counsel was also asked to file the reply counter by the next date of hearing, December 10.
Justice Chitkara said that “arguments regarding the allegations will not be heard till the pendency of the present petition. There will be a stay on the proceedings beyond the cognizance stage.”
However, the bench clarified that “there is no stay on penalty proceedings”.
According to reports, Balwant was allegedly picked up by the Chandigarh Police in 1991 after the bomb attack on Saini, who was the SSP in Chandigarh. Saini had escaped murder. However, three security personnel were killed and several were injured. Balwant, son of then serving IAS officer Darshan Singh Multani, is still missing and his family suspects that he has been killed. According to Saini’s plea, Balwant had escaped from custody after his arrest in 1991 and was declared a fugitive offender (PO) in 1993.
Amid allegations that Balwant was falsely implicated and tortured at the behest of Saini, in 2007 a bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the CBI to investigate. However, in 2011, the Supreme Court quashed the CBI FIR. Then, in May 2020, a fresh FIR was registered against Saini and other policemen on the complaint of Palwinder Singh.