The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Saturday decided to file a Recall Petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the August 19 release orders of former Director General of Police (DGP), Sumedh Saini, in a land fraud case.

That apart, the Bureau will also file a petition against the court’s interim bail order of 12 August in the disproportionate assets case against the former DGP. An official spokesperson said the Bureau will soon be moving the recall petitions in the two cases filed against Saini, a 1982 batch IPS officer.

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Saini was arrested on August 18 in the land fraud case when he went to the Vigilance Bureau (VB) office late in the evening (around 8 p.m.) in connection with another case (disproportionate assets case).

Saini had gone to the VB office in accordance with the High Court orders awarding him interim bail subject to him joining the investigation within seven days of the grant of interim bail.

Ordering Saini’s interim bail, the court had, on 12 August, stated: “For joining loose ends, if any with regard to the documentary evidence or banking transactions, this Court is of the opinion that custodial interrogation of the petitioner is not required. The petitioner is granted interim bail subject to his joining investigation within one week from today.”

Pointing out that the ex-DGP had chosen to visit the VB office late in the evening on the last day of the seven-day period, an official spokesperson of the Bureau said Saini had thus failed to follow the HC orders in letter and spirit.

“Saini intentionally exhausted the seven-day period during which he had to join the investigation in accordance with the interim order and even then he arrived at the Sector 68 Mohali office of the Bureau without any prior intimation to the investigating officer (IO). In fact, he intentionally did not go to the office of IO at Police Housing Complex, Sector-62, SAS Nagar,” said the spokesperson.

In the circumstances, the Bureau had thus decided to file a petition before the court seeking the recall of the interim bail orders in the disproportionate assets case.
The case relates to 35 properties and certain bank accounts of Nimratdeep, with balance and transactions worth Rs 100 Crore, including some in crores of rupees with Saini, leading to his undue enrichment, and exhibiting that he held assets far exceeding his income.

The spokesperson further said that sufficient ground was also made out in the land fraud case for the state to seek recall of the HC orders releasing Saini from detention.