Chandigarh: The Ex Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini was released from vigilance custody early Friday on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which stated his arrest in a cheating and forgery case as illegal.

As per reports,  Saini was arrested by the State's Vigilance Bureau on Wednesday night in connection with a case registered in September 2020 for cheating, forgery and other offences. The court of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi promulgated the order around midnight.

"The court said he (Saini) is to be released forthwith," said Saini's counsel Himmat Singh Deol. As per the high court, Saini's custody in the Sept 2020 case was "illegal and unjustified", another counsel APS Deol said. A 7-day prior notice is to be given if he is to be arrested in this case, the counsel said. Mr Deol said according to the court, it was the "flagrant misuse of the power by police and misuse of power by the vigilance".

The Court order reads as follows:- “In view of the above referred judicial precedents and above discussed facts and circumstances of the case evidencing illegality of the arrest of the detenue, the habeas corpus petition is allowed and the detenue is held to have been illegally arrested in circumvented violation of protection orders dated 11.10.2018 and 23.09.2020 and interim anticipatory bail order dated 12.08.2021 passed by the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court.''

Sonia Gandhi to chair opposition parties’ meet today, AAP not invited

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu pays tributes to Rajiv Gandhi on birth anniversary

PM Modi to inaugurate a number of projects in Gujarat’s Somnath Today