Punjabi singer moves HC for pre-arrest bail in rape case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday fixed January 23 for the State of Punjab to furnish a status report, while taking up an anticipatory bail plea filed by a “renowned” Punjabi singer facing allegations of rape and other offences. The case was registered under Sections 376, 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code in November last year at the NRI police station under the Jalandhar Commissionerate.

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Justice Namit Kumar of the high court also issued a notice of motion to the state and other respondents on the plea.

In his petition placed before Justice Kumar, the singer contended that the FIR was lodged after an unjustifiable delay of 18 years from the alleged first occurrence in 2006 and six years since the last alleged incident in 2018. The petitioner added that the complainant, a 45-year-old Canadian citizen, was an educated and mature individual married in 1999. This, the singer submitted, made her claim of being exploited on the pretext of marriage highly improbable and untenable.

He alleged that the complainant’s version was false and concocted. Besides, she did not report the alleged incidents to the police or any other authority all these years. “The prosecutrix is a mature and educated lady of about 45 years and is living in a developed country, Canada, alleging sexual assault since 2006. The non-disclosure of this incident either to the police or any agency for such a long period of time makes the version of the prosecutrix improbable and false,” he submitted.