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Sukhpal Singh Khaira takes on Saini,
says he is Badal’s tool
WSN Bureau
 CHANDIGARH:
Punjab Congress MLA from Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira has demanded
from Election Commission of India, the transfer of Punjab Vigilance
Bureau Chief Director Sumedh Saini alleging that the police officer
was playing in the hands of ruling party Shiromani Akali Dal.
In a complaint
made to ECI, Khaira said that ever since the formation of the SAD-BJP
government, it has used the Vigilance Bureau as a handy tool to brow
beat opponents. Khaira alleged that after scrapping the Punjab
Vigilance Commission set up by the previous Congress government in
conformity with the directions given by the Supreme Court in the
Vineet Narayan’s case, the Badal government Sumedh Saini as Director
Vigilance and kept the Chief Director’s post vacant to allow Saini
to head the Vigilance Bureau for more than 18 months. He said Saini
had carried out the Akali agenda of harrassing the Congress
leadership, particularly Amarinder Singh, former minister Jagjit
Singh and scores of senior Congress leaders.
Khaira listed a
number of cases pending against Saini. He said Saini has been
charged by CBI for kidnapping and eliminating three innocent persons
due to personal enemity and thus, has been charged for the offences
under Sections 342, 343, 364, 120-B of Indian Penal Code.
He is facing
trial before the Special Judge, CBI,
Delhi in RC No.
2(S)/94 wherein the charges were framed against him vide order dated
6.12.2006. It is pertinent to mention that the investigation was
transferred to CBI by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
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Khaira
claimed that Saini “has to be placed under suspension as per the
mandate of the Supreme Court” and that he is exceeding all
limits to oblige the Akali Government. |
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Further, Khaira
said the High Court handed over the investigation to the CBI wherein
the conduct of Sumedh Singh Saini is under scrutiny. While handing
over the investigation to the CBI, the Court observed that Sumedh
Saini is holding a very important post and is in a position to
influence the Investigating Officer if the case was handed over to
the Punjab Police or for that matter to the Chandigarh Police.
Khaisa claimed
that Saini “has to be placed under suspension as per the mandate of
the Supreme Court” and that he is exceeding all limits to oblige the
Akali Government. He said Clause (b) of the Proviso to Sec. 15 of
the Punjab Police Act makes it amply clear that when charges have
been framed by a Court of law against a police officer, he has to be
removed from his post. This makes it amply clear that such a
chargesheeted officer cannot hold such a prime post as has been done
in case of Sumedh Singh Saini.
The
posting of Sumedh Singh Saini as Director, Vigilance Bureau defeats
the very spirit of this Act which aims at providing an efficient,
professional, effective, accountable, people friendly, service
oriented and responsive police, free from extraneous influences,
accountable to law by taking into account the emerging challenges of
policing, enforcement of rule of law, the concern for security of
the State and the society, particularly the venerable sections and
minorities, good governance and human rights.
The Akali Dal
Government in
Punjab had
placed S. S. Virk, IPS and Rajinder Singh, IPS under suspension on
mere allegations.
However, Sumedh
Singh Saini, IPS, against whom charges have been framed for the
offences under Sections 342, 343, 364, 120-B of Indian Penal Code
and against whom two cases have been transferred to CBI by Division
Bench of the Hon’ble High Court, resulting in 2 FIRs against him by
CBI, is continuing to occupy such an important posting, he said.
25 March 2009
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