Harsimrat Badal Approaches NCW Seeking CBI Probe Against Punjab CM, Wife

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal filed a formal complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW) in Delhi on Tuesday against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his wife, Gurpreet Kaur, accusing them of shielding a rape accused and demanding an independent CBI investigation into the matter. There was no immediate response from Mann or his wife to the allegations at the time of filing. In a post on social media platform X, Badal said she had presented what she described as evidence to the NCW and sought its intervention, referring to the situation in Punjab using a Hindi phrase that translates roughly to "not respect, but rape."

She said she had been assured of support from the commission and expressed hope that the matter would be resolved in a manner that delivers justice to the women involved, describing them using the terms "Maavan-Dheeyan," meaning mothers and daughters. Badal alleged that a woman's dignity was effectively "being sold for Rs 5 crore" and claimed that five women had sought justice against a man accused of rape. She alleged that, rather than protecting the women, the Punjab government had threatened and harassed the complainants into withdrawing their cases, ultimately allowing the accused to evade prosecution.

She further claimed that despite public anger over the case, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered, let alone a formal investigation opened. The complaint follows an earlier development in August, when the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of a similar allegation, after a complaint filed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Ranjit Singh alleged that Gurpreet Kaur had attempted to suppress a rape case in exchange for a bribe of Rs 5 crore. The NHRC subsequently directed Punjab's Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to investigate the allegations and submit an action-taken report within two weeks. It remains unclear at this stage what conclusions, if any, emerged from that inquiry.

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It is important to note that these remain unverified allegations raised by opposition figures and a private complainant; no FIR, charge sheet or independent judicial finding has been reported confirming the claims. Badal also used the complaint to level broader criticism at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's record in Punjab, claiming that the state's financial and governance situation has deteriorated significantly over the past five years. She alleged that the state has accumulated debt of approximately Rs 5 lakh crore without corresponding public assets or benefits reaching citizens, and made further unverified allegations concerning corruption involving officials close to the Chief Minister, including claims about cash recoveries during enforcement raids.

These claims, too, remain allegations made by a political opponent and have not been independently confirmed by investigative authorities. The complaint adds to an escalating political confrontation between the SAD and the ruling AAP government in Punjab, with opposition leaders continuing to press for a CBI probe and greater transparency around the handling of the case. As of this report, Punjab government officials had not issued a public response to the specific claims made in Tuesday's NCW complaint, and it remains to be seen how the commission will proceed with its review of the matter.

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