The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognisance of serious allegations involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s wife, Gurpreet Kaur, who has allegedly been accused of seeking ₹5 crore to suppress a rape case. The allegations were made by former Punjab judge Justice Ranjit Singh and subsequently brought before the human rights panel through a complaint.
The NHRC, headed by Priyank Kanoongo, has directed the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) to inquire into the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report within two weeks. The matter has also been forwarded to the Women Safety Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The allegations are particularly serious because they concern the alleged suppression of a rape case and an alleged demand for a substantial sum of Rs 5 Crore in exchange for doing so. If established, such conduct could raise major questions about the protection of victims, access to justice and the functioning of law-enforcement institutions.
The allegations have not been established as facts. The NHRC’s decision to seek a report does not amount to a finding of guilt against Gurpreet Kaur or Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The commission’s action is intended to determine whether there is substance to the complaint and whether any human-rights violations or failures by state authorities require further action.
The controversy could nevertheless put additional political pressure on the Mann government ahead of the assembly elections next year. Earlier this month, Mann also faced allegations concerning officials linked to his office, which he dismissed as baseless and politically motivated.
The latest NHRC intervention now places the Punjab administration under scrutiny over its handling of the allegations. The two-week report sought from the Chief Secretary and DGP is expected to provide the first official account of whether the claims have been investigated and what action, if any, has been taken.
Meanwhile, Gurpreet Kaur has now sent a legal notice to former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Ranjit Singh over his allegations. Ranjit Singh, who is the brother-in-law of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, has been asked to respond to the legal notice within 24 hours of receiving it.
