Times News Network
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday issued a notice to the Punjab government, Ludhiana police commissioner and MLA from Atam Nagar assembly segment in Ludhiana district Simarjit Singh Bains on a plea against delay in registration of an FIR against the legislator.
Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill of the HC issued the notice after taking cognizance of the plea filed by a 44-year-old woman from Ludhiana district.
The petitioner has sought registration of a rape FIR and directions to the Punjab police not to harass her by calling her repeatedly to Ludhiana police lines. Fearing threat to her life and liberty, the petitioner has also sought production of the report on action taken by the Ludhiana police on her complaint.
According to the petitioner, she is a destitute widow with two young children and seeks justice against her exploitation by MLA Bains, who is known for his political and financial fortitude. She has contended that she was entrapped by Bains and his aides. Taking advantage of her social and economic vulnerability, she said, Bains repeatedly raped her on the pretext of helping her, and his brother also started making repeated calls and sending numerous WhatsApp messages soliciting physical relations with her.
She informed the HC that to end her emotional and physical misery, she appeared before the Ludhiana commissioner of police in his office on November 16 and handed over a handwritten statement for registration of an FIR against Bains.
“On November 19, the petitioner was taken to police lines by the local police and produced before the joint commissioner of police, Ludhiana. To add insult to the injury, instead of taking action on her complaint, the petitioner was humiliated and impetuously interrogated with a shameful questionnaire. The petitioner fully cooperated and provided all answers and also showed the WhatsApp chat between her and the MLA and his brother,” counsel for the woman submitted before the HC.
The petitioner said her brother and father were being constantly threatened on phone and approached personally by close aides of the MLA. She alleged the Punjab government and the police officers were providing patronage to Bains due to his political clout, as he was close to a cabinet minister of Ludhiana and other leaders of the ruling party.
The petitioner said despite Bains facing around 12 FIRs and his anticipatory bail applications in some cases being declined, he was roaming free and the police authorities were mum.
The matter will come up for hearing on April 23.