CHANDIGARH – The Punjab and Haryana High Court made it clear that tainted cop Sumedh Singh Saini’s appointment as the Punjab Director General of Police would remain under its scanner.
Taking “suo motu” notice of his appointment, a Division Bench of the High Court said it would pursue the case, even as it dismissed a petition filed in public interest in the matter by NGO Voices for Freedom. As the case came up for resumed hearing this morning, the Bench headed by Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri dismissed the PIL stating that the NGO was not having the locus standi to file the petition against Saini’s appointment.
“But as the issue is of substantial importance, the court would like to pursue the case’, the Bench observed in the open court.
The court also appointed senior Supreme Court advocate KN Balgopal and advocate Kuldeep Khandelwal as amicus curiae to assist court. The case will now come up for further hearing on November 8.
The NGO had earlier challenged Saini’s appointment by filing a petition on the grounds that he was facing a trial for abduction and other offences. Going into the background of the matter, the petitioner had contended: “On the basis of allegations that Saini is involved in the abduction and physical liquidation of three persons sometime in the year 1994, the HC had referred the investigation against him to the CBI. After detailed investigation, a report confirming abduction and physical liquidation of three persons was filed and accordingly a chargesheet was filed and sanction was accorded by the competent authorities”.
