The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has officially initiated proceedings into a grave accusation involving the family of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The commission acted after allegations emerged claiming that the Chief Minister’s wife, Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, demanded an extortion payment of ₹5 crore to hush up a rape case reported in Amritsar.

The matter was formally escalated to the statutory rights body through a complaint submitted by the Legal Rights Observatory (LRO). The submission drew heavily on public assertions made by retired Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Ranjit Singh, who also leads the Punjab Human Rights Organisation. The complaint raised urgent concerns that any covert financial transaction aimed at derailing a sexual assault prosecution severely undermines victim protection, human dignity, and the fairness of the criminal justice system.

Rights Watchdog: Claims Are Far Too Grave to Overlook

Explaining the intervention, an NHRC Bench presided over by Member Priyank Kanoongo pointed out that the statutory body could not remain a bystander when allegations of such magnitude are leveled by a former senior member of the judiciary against the spouse of a sitting Chief Minister.

Speaking on the commission’s stance, Kanoongo told news agency ANI:

“We have received a complaint from former Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Ranjit Singh alleging that the wife of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann attempted to hush up a rape case in exchange for a bribe of Rs 5 crore. It is a matter of concern when such an allegation is levelled against a person holding a top position in a state regarding a case involving the safety of women and children.”

He further elaborated on the administrative steps taken:

“We have directed the chief secretary and the DGP of Punjab to investigate the matter and submit a report to us. We have also informed the Women’s Safety Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. We will be able to proceed with further investigation only after receiving the report.”

The commission explicitly cautioned the administrative machinery against yielding to “political pressure,” warning that any administrative dereliction or compromise during the inquiry would attract strict regulatory action.

While the NHRC has taken formal cognizance of the grievance under its statutory mandate, it underscored that the allegations remain entirely unverified at this preliminary stage. The commission's directions do not represent a finding of guilt or a validation of the claims, but rather establish a formal process to uncover the facts.

State Chief Secretary, Police Chief Directed to Conduct Probe

The NHRC Bench has issued explicit instructions to Punjab’s Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) to initiate an immediate inquiry and furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) within a window of two weeks (15 days).

The state administration’s upcoming report must outline the exact steps undertaken by law enforcement agencies to examine the charges, assess the handling of the initial criminal complaint in Amritsar, and determine the veracity of the claims. The commission has also formally forwarded the matter to the Women Safety Division of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure broader institutional oversight. The human rights panel will review the findings submitted by the Punjab administration before determining whether further judicial or investigative intervention is warranted.

‘Bribe to Bury Rape Case’ Charge: Punjab CM’s Wife Serves Legal Notice on Former HC Judge

In a swift counter-offensive on Saturday, August 22, Dr. Gurpreet Kaur served a formal legal notice on Justice Ranjit Singh (retd).

According to official communications released by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the former High Court judge—who is also the brother-in-law of senior Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira—has been given a strict 24-hour ultimatum from the receipt of the communication to retract his statements and tender a response. The notice warns that failure to respond within the stipulated 24-hour timeframe will result in immediate legal action and necessitate his appearance before a court of law to answer for defamation and baseless claims.

Meanwhile, the controversy has sparked wider judicial scrutiny. Following the claims raised by Justice Singh regarding the alleged mishandling of the initial complaint, the victim's family has reportedly approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court directly by filing a writ petition, accusing the Punjab Police of compromising the investigation and failing to discharge their lawful duty.