HC queries SSP on action against Radhe Maa

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, September 7

Days after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sent to jail by a court for 20 years in rape cases, Radhe Maa alias Sukhwinder Kaur, a self-proclaimed godwoman, is back in news.

Following a complaint filed by a Phagwara resident, Surinder Mittal, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued a notice against the Senior Superintendent (SSP), Kapurthala, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for failing to act on a complaint by Mittal against the godwoman.

“The High Court issued a show-cause notice to the Kapurthala SSP asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him for intentional disobedience of the earlier court order of December 15, 2015, and fixed the next date of hearing for November 13 this year,” he said.

It may be mentioned that Surinder Mittal had lodged a complaint against Radhe Maa, seeking registration of a case against her in 2015 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, issuing threats and other offences under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

But when no action was taken by the police, 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 cognizable offence was made out and then act accordingly.

Mittal claimed that despite reminding the police about the court order, no action was taken on the complaint by the police and he was forced to knock the doors of the High Court and file a contempt petition.

This is not the first time that Radhe Maa has been found embroiled in a controversy. Her name figured in the case of getting the post of Maha Mandleshwar of Juna Akhara. A dowry case was also registered against her in Mumbai a few years back.

Surinder Mittal told the media that on March 30, 2002, Radhe Maa organised a jagran by posing herself as an incarnation of a goddess at a school in Phagwara.

In 2003-04, she courted controversy by portraying herself as Goddess Durga at a satsang in Phagwara.

When the Hindu organisations objected, she had to tender an apology before the Hindu activists demonstrating against her on the Phagwara-Hoshiarpur Road.

The then SDM of Phagwara, Amarjit Pal, himself went to the first storey of the building where the godwoman was hiding and asked her to leave. She then fled to Hoshiarpur under the cover of darkness.