Rs 5-crore demand to quash rape FIR? What Punjab CM Mann’s wife has to do with case

A petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court has brought to light allegations of political interference and a demand for Rs 5 crore to hush up an alleged rape case in Amritsar, with the claims involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s wife Gurpreet Kaur.

The allegations have now sparked a fresh controversy after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the Punjab chief secretary and police chief.

What does the petition say?

The petition was filed on June 30 by a 55-year-old man, who accused Gurinder Singh alias Guri Chahal, a Mohali resident, of abducting and raping his daughter after allegedly promising to marry her, The Print has reported. The father also claimed that Chahal had access to his daughter’s private photographs and was using them to blackmail her.

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According to the petition, reported The Print, Chahal was arrested in the case, but the police failed to carry out what the complainant considered a proper investigation. He alleged that Chahal was subsequently released from jail.

The petition reportedly names Simranjit Singh Hundal, a friend of Chahal, and Amardeep Singh Grewal, described as a ‘proclaimed relative’ of the CM’s wife, as respondents.

The girl’s father alleged that the respondents were putting pressure on the Amritsar police to suppress the case. He also referred to a petition filed by Hundal in the HC on June 9 on behalf of Chahal, in which Grewal was accused of seeking crores of rupees to settle what was described as a ‘false’ rape case, allegedly using his proximity to the CM’s wife.

Hundal’s petition, which was attached to the father’s plea, sought protection of life and liberty from the court. It also called for electronic evidence to be preserved in connection with allegations of “extortion, criminal intimidation, abuse of political influence and official machinery”.

Rs 5 crore demand alleged

Hundal also claimed that Chahal was facing a similar case in Mohali. In his petition, he accused Grewal of getting false rape FIRs registered and subsequently using his connections to demand money to hush them up. He further claimed that a complaint submitted to the Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) on May 24 did not result in any action.

Ranjit Singh, a retired judge who heads the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), said at a press conference in Chandigarh on Tuesday that the girl’s father had sought a CBI investigation, claiming that the local police were not properly probing the case.

“It is alleged in the petition that the chief minister’s wife was involved in seeking Rs 5 crore from the accused for cancellation of the FIR. I am not saying this from my side. This is mentioned in the petition,” he said, adding that the petitioner had also placed certain evidence before the court.

The case was registered in Amritsar on April 29 after the girl was allegedly abducted and raped. She was rescued on May 1, while Chahal was arrested on May 13.

HC weighs competing allegations

The Punjab and Haryana High Court disposed of the father’s plea on July 20 but did not transfer the investigation to the CBI. Instead, it directed the Special Director General of Police to oversee a fresh probe by an officer who had no prior involvement in the case.

“The Special Director General of Police shall nominate a senior gazetted police officer, who has not been associated with the investigation of the present case at any stage earlier, to conduct the investigation under her overall supervision,” Justice Mandeep Pannu of the HC ordered.

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While considering the plea, the court examined the allegations made by the father as well as the claims raised by the other side.

The court noted that Hundal, who had been named as a respondent in the father’s petition, had separately alleged that Grewal was closely associated with the CM’s wife and that attempts were being made to get the FIR cancelled.

“The petition further alleges that Hundal himself claimed that a demand of ₹5 crore had been made by the wife of the chief minister for getting the FIR cancelled, and copies of the said writ petition, photographs of meetings and transcripts of conversations have been relied upon by the petitioners in support of such allegations,” reads Justice Pannu’s order.

The court said it was significant that allegations of the CM’s wife allegedly intervening in the matter and a demand of Rs 4-5 crore for cancellation of the FIR appeared in both the victim’s father’s petition and the separate plea filed by one of the respondents. It said this was relevant at this stage regardless of whether the allegations ultimately proved correct.

Justice Pannu asserted that the court was not, at this stage, determining whether these allegations were true. “However, it cannot be overlooked that such allegations, coupled with the fact that respondent No.6 (Hundal) admittedly claims to be pursuing the litigation on behalf of respondent No.5, (Chahal) have created a genuine apprehension in the minds of the petitioners regarding the fairness of the investigation.”

HC rejects CBI probe request

The judge said the allegations had been firmly denied, but the circumstances raised concerns about whether the investigation could remain impartial and free from outside influence. Since the investigation was still in progress and no final or cancellation report had been filed, the court said it was not necessary to settle the competing claims at that stage.

Justice Pannu said a CBI investigation was an exceptional remedy and could not be ordered merely because allegations had been made against the police. The HC, however, emphasised that the victim as well as the accused should have faith in the criminal justice process.

It said that where circumstances create a reasonable apprehension that the local investigation may not be impartial, the court can direct an independent officer to take charge of the probe.

The court ultimately declined to transfer the matter to the CBI. Instead, Justice Pannu ordered that a senior police officer with no previous connection to the case conduct the investigation, with supervision from a senior state-level officer to ensure that the probe remained fair and credible.

NHRC seeks probe into charges

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also stepped into the controversy, issuing notices to the Punjab chief secretary and police chief over a complaint concerning the alleged Rs 5 crore demand to suppress the rape case. The Commission said the allegation involves Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s wife Gurpreet Kaur.

NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo told ANI that the Commission had also informed the Union Home Ministry about the matter. “This is a very serious matter,” he said.

The NHRC said its notice followed a complaint filed on Friday by Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), which referred to public remarks by retired judge Ranjit Singh about an alleged Rs 5 crore demand linked to the rape case and involving the chief minister’s wife.

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The LRO has sought an independent verification of the allegation, citing “the seriousness of the allegation and its potential implications for the administration of criminal justice”, according to the NHRC notice.

Ranjit Singh, who heads the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), also referred to another petition filed by an Army unit against a real estate developer accused of constructing a hotel in an Amritsar area designated as a no-construction zone. He alleged that a relative of the CM was shielding the builder and urged the Punjab government to examine both petitions and take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, the CM’s wife is reported to have sent a notice to the retired judge, asking him to respond within 24 hours or face legal action. Justice Singh told The Print that he had not received the notice yet, but would respond if it reached him.