The Bharatiya Janta Celebration on Thursday stepped up its assault on the Aam Aadmi Celebration authorities in Punjab, alleging {that a} community of middlemen was getting used to dealer the withdrawal or dilution of rape instances for cash, and sought an unbiased probe into what it described as a “Rs 5-crore corruption syndicate” allegedly involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s workplace and his spouse, Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, addressing a press convention, performed purported audio recordings which he claimed confirmed a intermediary discussing a rape case with a relative of an accused and referring to the Chief Minister and his workplace. He additional claimed {that a} second recording referred to an quantity being “fastened”, whereas one other allegedly mentioned distribution of the cash amongst a number of folks.
The allegations couldn’t be independently verified from the recordings offered on the press convention. Bhandari didn’t present proof establishing that the voices belonged to the individuals he named or that any cash had truly been paid.
The allegations, nonetheless, come in opposition to the backdrop of an ongoing inquiry ordered by the Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC) right into a grievance regarding an alleged demand of Rs 5 crore to suppress a rape case involving the spouse of the Punjab Chief Minister.
The NHRC has directed the Punjab Chief Secretary and Director Common of Police to inquire into the allegations and submit an action-taken report inside two weeks. It has additionally forwarded the matter to the Ladies Security Division of the Union Ministry of Residence Affairs. The fee mentioned the allegations, if established, may elevate issues regarding the sufferer’s dignity, security, truthful investigation and entry to justice.
Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann, in the meantime, has issued a authorized discover to retired Punjab choose Ranjit Singh, whose alleged public statements fashioned the idea of the grievance cited earlier than the NHRC, in keeping with the Chief Minister’s Workplace.
Bhandari sought to attract an extra connection between the allegations and the arrest and subsequent launch on bail of a rape accused in a case registered as FIR No. 77 on the Civil Strains police station. He alleged that the accused was arrested on Might 13 and launched on Might 20, and questioned whether or not the investigation had been weakened to facilitate the discharge.
He additionally referred to {a photograph} which he claimed confirmed the Chief Minister’s spouse with the alleged intermediary across the time of the case. The circumstances and relevance of the {photograph} weren’t independently established on the press convention.
Bhandari demanded that the Punjab Authorities ought to order an investigation by a central company, arguing that the allegations shouldn’t be examined by the state equipment itself.
The fee has ordered an inquiry into the allegations and mentioned that additional motion would rely upon the action-taken report submitted by the Punjab authorities.
