The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued a notice against the SSP of Kapurthala district asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for failing to act on a complaint against self-styled ‘godwoman’ Sukhwinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa.
The single bench of Justice Daya Chaudhary passed the directions against the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) on the complaint filed by Phagwara resident Surinder Mittal.
The matter will now be heard on 13 October.
“The high court issued show cause notice to Kapurthala SSP as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for the intentional disobedience of the (earlier) court order,” counsel for the complainant Krishan Singh Dadwal said on Tuesday.
Phagwara-based Surinder Mittal, a former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) member, had lodged a complaint against Radhe Maa, seeking registration of a case against her in 2015 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, threatening and other offences under the IPC.
Dadwal claimed that when no action was taken by police, complainant Mittal approached the high court, seeking appropriate directions in the matter.
The then single bench of the high court had directed the Kapurthala SSP to look into the allegations levelled by the complainant, determine if any cognisable offence was made out and then act accordingly, Dadwal said.
Hel claimed that despite reminding the police about the court order, no action was taken on the complaint by the police.
“But the SSP took no action in the matter,” he claimed, adding the complainant approached the high court again in this matter and filed a contempt petition.
Radhe Maa, in 2016, had been charged under Section 298A based on a complaint by a 32-year-old woman who alleged that the godwoman influenced her in-laws to demand dowry. She is expected to soon be questioned by the Mumbai Police.
In a separate case in 2015, Mumbai-based lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt had accused the 53-year-old godwoman of obscenity, mental harassment, fraud and cheating.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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