CHANDIGARH, Punjab—In reply to a plea moved by the former DSP Kanwal Inderpal Singh seeking cancellation of arrest warrants issued against him, the Special Investigation Team probing the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani case has told the Court that KIP Singh can’t move such a plea while sitting abroad.
The SIT has told the Court that any discussion on cancellation of his arrest warrants can begin only after he surrenders before the Court.
The SIT also apprised the Court that Kanwal Inder Pal Singh intentionally fled abroad because he was aware of the possibility of his arrest in this three-decade-old abduction and murder case.
It is pertinent to note here that the Special Investigation Team had got KIP Singh’s arrest warrants and lookout notice issued from the Court after he didn’t appear despite repeated notices.
Former DSP Kanwal Inder Pal Singh is also an accused in the 1991’s Balwant Singh Multani murder case.
Case Background:
In 1991, the Chandigarh police had abducted Balwant Singh Multani from his Mohali based residence immediately after an attack on Sumedh Saini in Chandigarh. Four cops deployed in the security of Saini were killed in this attack, while he survived the attack.
After abducting Balwant Singh Multani, the cops had committed inhuman torture on him at the behest of Sumedh Saini.
“During the night of December 13, 1991, the cops of Sector-17 police station produced Balwant Singh Multani before Sumedh Saini. He was tortured so cruelly that he was left unable to stand. When he fell down, Sumedh Saini kicked him so cruelly that his eye came out. Next morning, he was lying unconscious in a pool of blood. Saini came and ordered the cops to put him inside a vehicle and they took him along with them,” an eyewitness Gursharan Kaur Mann had revealed in May this year.
In 2007, the Punjab & Haryana High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry into this case. The CBI had found enough evidence against Sumedh Saini after which an FIR was registered against him, along with three other cops namely SP (Operations) Baldev Singh Saini, SI Harsahai Sharma, and Jagir Singh on July 4, 2008.
Later, this FIR was quashed by the Supreme Court of India after Saini challenged CBI inquiry and the High Court’s decision.
On May 6, the Mohali police had registered a fresh FIR on the complaint of victim Balwant Singh Multani’s brother Palwinder Singh Multani against Sumedh Saini, SP (Operations) Baldev Singh Saini, SI Harsahai Sharma, SI Jagir Singh, SI Savir Singh, SI Anoop Singh, Kuldeep Singh and other unknown police cops.
Later, two cops spilled the beans while turning approvers in this case after which murder charges added to this FIR.
On September 15, SC had granted protection from arrest to Sumedh Saini after he sought an anticipatory bail plea.
