Sidhu hits back at Punjab AG, accuses him of subverting justice

CHANDIGARH, Nov 7: A day after Punjab Advocate General A P S Deol accused Navjot Singh Sidhu of spreading misinformation and obstructing him, the state Congress chief on Sunday hit back, alleging that the AG’s “earnest inaction” was subverting justice in the sacrilege and drug cases.
The advocate general had on Saturday accused Sidhu of obstructing the functioning of the state government and his office, and “spreading misinformation to gain political advantage”.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Sidhu lambasted Deol, saying “justice is blind but the people of Punjab are not”.
“Mr. AG-PUNJAB, Justice is blind but people of Punjab are not. Our Congress party came in power with a promise to give justice in Sacrilege Cases, in which you appeared before the High Court for main conspirators/accused persons and made serious allegations against our Govt,” he said.
“Today, you are representing the same Government of same political party in power and accusing me of spreading misinformation, whereas, I am fighting for justice in Sacrilege cases and you were procuring blanket bails for the accused persons,” Sidhu said in another tweet.
The Punjab Congress chief has been opposing Deol’s appointment as the state advocate general. Deol had represented former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in cases related to the 2015 post-sacrilege police firing incidents.
“A person of character does the right thing for right reason with right motive. Your earnest inaction is clearly subverting justice rather than ensuring it,” Sidhu alleged.
In another tweet, Sidhu alleged that Deol had prayed for transferring the investigation to the CBI as “you were afraid of their false implication in sacrilege cases on accounts of malafide, malice and ulterior motives on the part of political party in power in the state of Punjab”.
“May I know which interest (vested or otherwise) were you acting for when you appeared for the main conspirators and procured blanket bail for them and which interest, you are acting now,” he asked. A month after announcing his resignation as the state Congress chief, Sidhu withdrew it on Friday. However, he said he would re-assume charge only after the state government replaced the advocate general. “Are you acting at the behest of those who appointed you in this constitutional office and fulfilling their political gains,” Sidhu said on Sunday, targeting Deol, who is considered Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s choice for the post of the AG. “Did you advise the government to challenge the blanket bail order procured by you or any other adverse order in sacrilege cases in Supreme Court,” he asked. “You appeared for the accused, now representing the State and very soon you will seek elevation as a judge so that you can decide this case. Being the highest law officer, your focus is on politics and political gains,” Sidhu hit out at Deol. (PTI)
He further asked Deol to leave politics to the politicians and “focus on your personal conscience, integrity and professional ethics, which your job requires”.
Pointing at the STF report in the drug cases, Sidhu said, “In the hearing of Drugs case in High Court on 05.10.2021, upon being asked that what is stopping Govt. For taking action on the basis of STF Report filed in High Court, you replied that ‘It would be ethically wrong to proceed in the matter without the Court’s Nod’.”
On Friday, Sidhu had questioned the Channi-led state government over the steps taken for the delivery of justice in the cases of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and drug trafficking.
“May I know what is unethical in proceeding against the accused persons on the basis of STF Report who are responsible for narcotics-terrorism in Punjab and has put India’s most prosperous state in danger of losing an entire generation to drug abuse,” he asked.
“Did Hon’ble High Court stop you? Hon’ble High Court itself gave a copy of the STF report to our Government for consideration and you are shielding the inaction of the Government under the guise of your own unknown Ethics,” Sidhu said.
“I believe that Ethics is about the way things ought to be, not about the way things are. Ethical people often do more than law requires and less than it allows. When it comes to ethics, motive is very important,” he added. (PTI)MH-COURT-2ND LD DESHMUKH (Eds: Adds details from high court’s order)
Bombay HC sends Anil Deshmukh in ED custody
till Nov 12; sets aside judicial remand order
MUMBAI, Nov 7:
The Bombay High Court on Sunday set aside a special court order remanding former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh to judicial custody, and sent him in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody till November 12 in a money laundering case.
The ED in its application said the special court, by remanding Deshmukh to judicial custody, had denied the agency sufficient and adequate opportunity to investigate a case that has “wide and serious ramifications” .
The agency said it could interrogate Deshmukh only for five days, of which two were holidays (Diwali).
The HC, while remanding Deshmukh in the agency’s custody, observed that prime facie there was substance in the ED’s application about the legality of special court’s order.
A vacation bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar was hearing an application filed by the ED, challenging the special court’s order of November 6 remanding Deshmukh to 14-day judicial custody on the ground that it was bad in law and against the principles of natural justice.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the ED, told the court that based on the probe conducted so far, custodial interrogation was the need of the hour considering the allegation of collection of around Rs 100 crore has been made in the case.
The entire money trail is required to be established and the involvement of foreign angle cannot be ruled out at this stage, the agency said in its application.
Deshmukh’s counsel Vikram Chaudhri and advocate Aniket Nikam told the court that while they were opposing the plea on merits and maintainability, the NCP leader has consented and volunteered to be interrogated by the ED.
The ED in its application sought Deshmukh’s custody for nine days, but his counsel Chaudhri told the court that they were agreeable only for four-day custody.
The HC observed that prime facie there was substance in the ED’s application about the legality of special court’s order.
Justice Jamdar said since Deshmukh’s advocates have agreed to the ED’s custody, it was not going in detail on the aspect of legality of the special court’s order.
The HC then remanded Deshmukh to the ED’s custody till November 12.
The ED in its application said the special court, by remanding Deshmukh to judicial custody, had denied the agency sufficient and adequate opportunity to investigate a case that has “wide and serious ramifications” and more so, when the probe is at a crucial stage.
“The sessions judge (special court) ought to have appreciated that the investigation in cases of colossal frauds and money laundering, like the present one, cannot be expected to be completed within a short span of time,” the application said.
A sufficient opportunity needs to be given to the investigating agency to probe the entire gamut of the case, so that it can collect sufficient quality evidence which will help to go to the root of the matter, it added.
The ED said it wants to now confront Deshmukh with dismissed cop Sachin Waze and others, including the NCP leader’s family members like his sons Hrishikesh Deshmukh and Salil Deshmukh and his chartered accountant.
Deshmukh was arrested by the ED on November 1 after 12 hours of questioning in connection with the multi-crore money laundering case. He was produced before a special holiday court on November 2 which remanded him in the ED’s custody till November 6.
When he was produced before the special court on Saturday, the ED had sought further custody, but the court refused and sent him to judicial custody.
The ED had earlier told the special court that Deshmukh was the “prime beneficiary” of proceeds of crime and directly involved in the offence of money laundering.
The central agency, in its remand note submitted to the special court, had said the NCP leader emerged as an “important cog in the wheels” in the case, in which there has been an allegation of collection of Rs 100 crore, and maintained the involvement of foreign angle cannot be ruled out.
It had also told the court that Deshmukh’s custodial interrogation was the need of the hour in the interest of the ongoing investigation, and that the entire money trail requires to be established in order to bring the guilty to book.
The ED had initiated a probe against Deshmukh and his associates after the CBI filed its FIR against the NCP leader on April 21 this year on charges of corruption and misuse of official position.
The case against Deshmukh and others was made out after the CBI booked him in a corruption case related to allegations of at least Rs 100 crore bribery made by ex-Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
Deshmukh had refuted these allegations earlier and said the agency’s whole case was based on malicious statements made by a tainted cop (Waze).
The ED had earlier arrested two persons in the case – Sanjeev Palande (additional collector rank official who was working as Deshmukh’s private secretary) and Kundan Shinde (Deshmukh’s personal assistant).
The agency earlier submitted its prosecution complaint (equivalent to a charge sheet) against the duo before a special court. (PTI)