Harsimrat meets NCW chief over Rs 5-crore bribery allegations, seeks FIR against Punjab CM's wife, CBI probe

Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Tuesday met National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar in New Delhi and sought the Commission's intervention over allegations linking Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann, to an alleged demand for Rs 5 crore to suppress rape and abduction cases. Badal, the Lok Sabha member from Bathinda, submitted a representation to the NCW chairperson and demanded the immediate resignation of Mann on 'moral grounds', registration of an FIR against his wife and a CBI investigation into the allegations. Advertisement The allegations have been denied by Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann, who has described them as baseless and has initiated legal action against former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Ranjit Singh (retd), whose complaint brought the matter into the public domain. Advertisement 'The allegations are extremely serious and cannot be brushed aside merely because they involve the family of the Chief Minister,' Badal said, according to a statement issued in connection with the meeting. 'An FIR should be registered and the entire matter should be handed over to the CBI so that the truth comes before the people of Punjab.' Badal said an investigation conducted by agencies under the Punjab government would not inspire confidence when allegations had been levelled against the Chief Minister's wife. She also demanded Mann's resignation, arguing that he should step down on moral grounds to allow what she described as a free and impartial investigation. The controversy stems from allegations made by Justice Ranjit Singh, who alleged that Rs 5 crore had been demanded in connection with suppressing a rape case. The allegations subsequently prompted the National Human Rights Commission to seek an action-taken report from the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director General of Police. Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann has rejected the charge. She sent a legal notice to Justice Ranjit Singh, describing the allegations as 'false, baseless and defamatory' and asking him to produce evidence supporting his claims. The Aam Aadmi Party has also rejected the accusations and questioned the political motives behind them. The issue has triggered a political confrontation in Punjab, with opposition parties demanding an independent investigation. The BJP has also levelled allegations on the basis of purported audio recordings, claims that have been rejected by AAP. Badal has been pressing the issue for several days. She had earlier led an Istri Akali Dal protest towards the Chief Minister's residence in Chandigarh, demanding Mann's resignation and criminal proceedings over the allegations. Police detained Badal and several other protesters during that demonstration. Taking the matter to the NCW on Tuesday, Badal said the allegations involved not only corruption but also the alleged suppression of crimes against women and therefore required scrutiny by the women's rights body. 'The victims must get justice and no one, however powerful, should be beyond investigation,' she said. There has so far been no finding by a court or investigating agency establishing the bribery allegations against Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann.