Missing woman surfaces before HC, gets protection

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24

In a twist to the Ferozepur missing woman case in which a former MLA’s name had surfaced, the “victim” appeared before the Punjab and Haryana HC, claiming that she wanted to stay with a friend instead of her husband or mother.

Considering the nature of allegations and counter-allegations emerging in the case, Justice Hari Pal Verma said the petitioner required protection. He directed the SSPs, Ferozepur and Hoshiarpur, to ensure protection for the petitioner till further orders.

As the petition filed by the “missing woman” for quashing the kidnapping case registered in Ferozepur last month came up for resumed hearing, Justice Verma asked Haryana law officer Mahima Yashpal to interact with the petitioner to ascertain her wishes to stay with her husband Satnam Singh or with her mother Sukhbir Kaur.

Yashpal told the Bench that the petitioner was not inclined to go either with her husband or with her mother and wanted to live independently. The petitioner said she would like to stay with Manjit Kaur, a close friend present in the court. The Bench directed the state counsel to verify the antecedents of Manjit Kaur.

The Punjab Police had earlier told the HC that former MLA Sukhpal Singh Nannu was named as an accused during probe of the kidnapping case.

A status report filed by Ferozepur DSP (City) Surinder Pal said: “During probe and on the basis of the supplementary statement of the complainant-respondent, Sukhpal Singh was named an accused and during probe call details of the petitioner were obtained from where it transpired that the petitioner is in contact with Nannu.”

The court was earlier told that the FIR was registered at the behest of the woman-petitioner’s husband and she was apprehending threat to her life and liberty at the “hands of respondent-husband, his family members and her parents”.