Jalandhar, May 8, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
As controversial former Punjab DGP Sumedh Saini was today denied anticipatory bail by a Mohali court in a case of kidnapping and disappearance of the son of a Sikh IAS officer, the development could have political implications for the beleaguered Akali Dal (Badal), thanks to Saini’s choice of lawyers.
Saini, who was booked by the Punjab Police 29 years after the disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani in 1991, also made news when he was stopped from entering Himachal Pradesh during lockdown and traffic restrictions this week.
Facing imminent arrest, he moved a Mohali Court seeking anticipatory bail but the court instead only issued a notice to the State of Punjab. Next hearing will be on Saturday, May 9, 2020.
Political pundits have been surprised by Saini’s choice of lawyers, namely Satnam Singh Kaler and Arshdeep Singh Kaler, a father son duo known for their ties to the Badal family.
Significantly, Satnam Singh Kaler is also the Chairman of the Gurdwara Judicial Commission since December 2016, appointed to the coveted office during the regime of Parkash Singh Badal.
Advocate Arshdeep Singh Kaler is also associated with the Akali Dal Badal, serving the party as its spokesman and a key functionary of its legal cell.
While the latest case against Saini was lodged on a complaint by Multani’s brother, he was also the subject of a CBI probe undertaken on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. However, it was later quashed by the Supreme Court.
While Saini has been quoted in sections of the media as alluding that it was CM Amarinder Singh who was behind the latest case, the fact that lawyers known to be close to Badals will be defending him in a court of law is not likely to go down well with panthic circles where many already view the Badals’ role in probe into sacrilege of holy Sikh scriptures with suspicion.
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