CM Mann's wife sends legal notice to retired judge over Rs 5 crore rape case cover-up allegation
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's wife, Gurpreet Kaur, on Saturday sent a legal notice to a former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge over allegations that she had demanded Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case.
According to AAP MLA Amandeep Kaur, Dr Gurpreet Kaur has issued the notice.
The notice sought an apology within 24 hours over the allegations, warning that failure to comply would result in legal proceedings and the matter being taken to court, Kaur told reporters.
The issue came to public attention after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Punjab government and its police chief over a complaint alleging that Mann's wife had sought Rs 5 crore to hush up a rape case, officials said on Saturday.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said serious allegations had been made and the chief minister should offer clarity on the matter.
"The chief minister should give his clarification on the issue. Why such allegations have been levelled, what is the matter, he should clarify," Warring told reporters.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia said Chief Minister Mann needed to respond to the allegations.
"A serious allegation of demanding a Rs 5 crore bribe has been levelled against your wife, and the NHRC has sought a report from your DGP and Chief Secretary," Majithia wrote in a post on X on Saturday.
He said Mann should immediately recommend that the matter be handed over to the CBI to ensure justice for the victim.
"Bhagwant Mann, a serious allegation of demanding Rs 5 crore has been levelled against your wife. You have lost the trust of the people of Punjab on moral grounds. Immediately send your resignation to the Punjab Governor," Majithia added in his post.
Congress's Jalandhar MP and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said the matter should be investigated by the CBI.
Following criticism from the opposition, AAP's Moga MLA Amandeep Kaur launched a strong counterattack, describing the allegations against Dr Gurpreet Kaur as "baseless."
Kaur said that while it is the opposition's right to question, oppose and criticise the government's functioning, making false allegations but attacking someone's private life, reputation and character was unacceptable.
"When lies cross all limits, they will be answered not only politically but also through legal means," she said.
An NHRC official said the Commission has taken cognisance of the complainant's allegation that Mann's wife sought Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case, and has directed authorities to investigate and submit an action-taken report within two weeks.
The complainant alleged that a retired judge had publicly stated that a demand of Rs 5 crore was made in connection with a rape case allegedly involving the wife of the Punjab chief minister, according to proceedings dated August 21.
The complaint, filed with the NHRC by the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), raised concerns that such "interference" could compromise the victim's right to dignity, safety, a fair investigation and access to justice, officials said.
The complainant has sought independent verification of the allegation, preservation of evidence, and an "impartial inquiry into any attempt to dilute or influence the investigation," stressing that a rape victim's right to justice must remain "above influence, status, or position." (with inputs from PTI)
