Sumedh Singh Saini -the blue-eyed boy of the Indian state for many decades, the man who ran the Punjab police operations to his whims and fancies in an undemocratic, autocratic, unlawful and illegal manner with guaranteed impunity from various governments, is now feeling the heat with a police case of abduction having been filed against him yesterday in Mohali for the involuntary disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani -the son of a former Indian Administrative officer 29 years ago.

THE DOGGED, FEARLESS APPROACH AND DETERMINATION OF relatives, lawyers and activists has resulted in a case against former Punjab Police Chief Sumedh Saini under multiples sections of the IPC including  Sections 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 344 (wrongful confinement), 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to exhort confession) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) for the kidnapping of Balwant Singh Multani by two officers of the Chandigarh police under directions from the then SSP Chandigarh Sumedh Saini.

The First Information Report No. 77 registered at Police station Mataur of Mohali district has been filed on the complaint of Palwinder Singh Multani, who is the brother of Balwant Singh Multani allegedly abducted and involuntary disappeared at the behest of then Chandigarh SSP Sumedh Saini. The accused as the per the FIR are former DGPC Punjab Sumedh Singh Saini, DSP Baldev Singh Saini, Sub-Inspectors Savir Singh, Harsahai Sharma, Jagir Singh and Anoop Singh, along with Kuldeep Singh and other unknown police personnel.

For nearly two decades and more Saini was a law unto himself, it will not be wrong to say that he was “law”.  The State government of Punjab and the Indian Union government had given him full powers from his days as SSP to DGP to harass, maim and kill with full impunity.

As the DGP -Punjab, he is clearly responsible for the Behbal Kalan firing in which two Sikhs were killed in 2015 and it would be keenly watched how the investigation, in this case, proceeds after Saini is detained in the abduction case.”

Kanwar Pal Singh, Spokesperson, Dal Khalsa

It is a big relief to many that some relatives, lawyers and activists of those disappeared involuntarily, those who were maltreated and tortured and those who faced long detentions have been doggedly pursuing human rights abuse cases against all odds.

The Central Bureau of Investigation reinvestigated the case of Balwant Singh Multani, who was a friend of Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar and two other relatives of Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar -his father Balwant Singh Bhullar and his uncle, who went missing after detention, under orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in 2007. It is common knowledge that they were tortured and killed.

For nearly two decades and more Saini was a law unto himself, it will not be wrong to say that he was “law”.  The State government of Punjab and the Indian Union government had given him full powers from his days as SSP to DGP to harass, maim and kill with full impunity. 

Significantly, the battle between the police hierarchy, the state administration and the Indian security apparatus in Delhi are likely to come out to the fore and we can witness dirty linen being washed in public -hopefully, all of this will result in the discovery of truth sooner than later.

Speaking to WSN, Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said, “Saini’s hands are dipped in the blood of innocents. He masterminded the brutal killings of female family members of Balwinder Singh Jattana. He abducted and killed Prof Rajinder Pal Singh Bulara of Punjab Agricultural University. He is also facing murder charges of owners of Saini Motors, Ludhiana.”

“As the DGP -Punjab, he is clearly responsible for the Behbal Kalan firing in which two Sikhs were killed in 2015 and it would be keenly watched how the investigation, in this case, proceeds after Saini is detained in the abduction case,” added Kanwarpal Singh.

“Justice for crimes against humanity must have no limitations.”

Simon Wiesenthal

Hundreds of families directly and indirectly affected by the inhuman practice of human rights abuse in Punjab by Sumedh Saini are dying to watch the image of Saini being handcuffed and taken to court and hauled before a court of law, an opportunity he denied to so many during his policing period.

Austrian Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal said, “Justice for crimes against humanity must have no limitations.” Let us hope that Indian courts and the Union government of India will not obstruct the wheels of justice, even though deliverance of justice is a far cry.