Ex-Punjab DGP Sumedh Saini absconding; didn't withdraw his security: Police

The letter written to the DGP by Saini's wife, who also seemed to have disappeared from the Chandigarh residence, appears to be an attempt to strengthen his claim for the grant of anticipatory bail in the Multani case, said the spokesperson. The official said the state government is fully alive to the security concerns involving Saini as per the present threat assessment and will not do anything to endanger his security or that of his family members.

The Punjab Police on Thursday claimed that former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini has “absconded” while denying his wife's claim of withdrawal of his security cover. Saini was booked in May in connection with the disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani, a junior engineer with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation, in 1991.

The Punjab Police categorically denies the withdrawal of the security of the former DGP, who has absconded, leaving his security detail behind, said a spokesperson of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Multani disappearance case. Contrary to what has been claimed by Saini's wife in a letter to Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta, there has been no change whatsoever in the security detail and the paraphernalia, including the security box and jammer vehicle provided to the former police chief, who is a 'Z+' category protectee of the state government, said the spokesperson. The fact of the matter is that Saini seemed to have left his Chandigarh residence without Punjab Police security personnel and security vehicles, including the jammer vehicle, on his own, thus jeopardising his own security, said the spokesperson.

What is more, the security vehicles can still be seen standing outside his Chandigarh residence, where the security personnel are idling away their time waiting for his return, said the spokesperson. The letter written to the DGP by Saini's wife, who also seemed to have disappeared from the Chandigarh residence, appears to be an attempt to strengthen his claim for the grant of anticipatory bail in the Multani case, said the spokesperson.

The official said the state government is fully alive to the security concerns involving Saini as per the present threat assessment and will not do anything to endanger his security or that of his family members. A Mohali court on Tuesday had dismissed the bail plea of Saini. Multani had disappeared after a terrorist attack on the former DGP in Chandigarh in 1991. Saini on Wednesday filed an anticipatory bail in the Punjab and Haryana High court in this matter. The former DGP had earlier filed a petition in the High Court seeking either quashing of the case or transfer of the matter to the CBI. Saini faces arrest as the court had on August 21 allowed the Punjab Police to add a murder charge against him in this case. This came after two former Chandigarh police personnel, who are also co-accused, turned approvers in the case.

Multani, who was a resident of Mohali, was picked by police after the terrorist attack on Saini, who was the then senior superintendent of police in Chandigarh. Police had later claimed that Multani had escaped from the custody of the Qadian police in Gurdaspur. Saini and six others were booked on the complaint of Balwant Multani's brother Palwinder Singh Multani, who is a resident of Jalandhar.

The case was registered against them under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence), 330 (voluntarily causes hurt), 344 (wrongful confinement), and 364 (kidnapping or abducting) of the Indian Penal Code at the Mataur police station in Mohali..