The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) on Thursday accused Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann and his wife of running a racket by means of middlemen to ‘settle’ rape cases in lieu of Rs 4 crore. The saffron party levelled the charges against the duo with regard to a case involving Instagram influence Gurvinder Singh Chahal, whom the Punjab Police released earlier this week, months after he was arrested for allegedly abducting and raping a woman. 

BJP releases audio clips

In a sensational expose, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, while addressing a press conference, released audio clips in which an alleged middleman could be heard invoking his political connections while discussing the settlement of rape and other criminal cases. 

However, the names of Punjab CM Mann and his wife were not mentioned in the clips. Bhandari then alleged, “Bhagwant Mann and his wife are running a loot and corruption racket. Under it, they are using middlemen to settle legitimate rape cases in exchange for ₹5 crore.”

He then questioned whether the clips suggested that the CM had personally intervened to bring an end to a criminal case. 

He asserted, “The clips prima facie raise serious questions about whether the CM is personally intervening to end a case. Has the CM’s residence become a place where deals are struck and cut money reaches Punjab’s ‘Super CM’ Arvind Kejriwal?”

Until the report was filed, neither Punjab CM Mann nor any official from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) responded to the charges. 

SAD calls for CBI probe

Notably, the controversy has emerged as a major political flashpoint ahead of the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls. Earlier on Thursday, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) called on Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged corruption in the Chief Minister’s office and purported attempts to shield a rape accused.

The SAD’s demands emerged amid mounting political allegations surrounding the handling of the Chahal case. 

Political row intensifies after NHRC’s notice

The latest development unfolds days after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to Mann’s wife Gurpreet Kaur over allegations that she allegedly demanded Rs 5 crore to shield Chahal in the rape case. 

The NHRC acted on a complaint filed by Ranjit Singh, a retired High Court judge, concerning an alleged syndicate involving CM Mann’s wife.