The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for a status report from the State of Punjab on a petition filed by the parents of Shaganpreet Singh—former manager of murdered Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala—alleging continuous harassment, repeated implication in criminal cases and misuse of police powers despite publicly disowning their son in 2021 and severing all ties with him.
Taking up the petition, Justice Aaradhna Sawhney fixed July 24 as the next date of hearing and directed that the status report be filed before then. The court also issued notice of motion to the State of Punjab, the State Director-General of Police, the Additional Director-General of Police (Vigilance), and Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police.
Petitioner Daljit Kaur (74) contended that she and her husband, both senior citizens, had been repeatedly implicated in successive FIRs and subjected to coercive police action solely on account of their relationship with their estranged son.
The petitioner stated that Shaganpreet Singh was alleged to be involved in certain criminal cases and had reportedly been declared a proclaimed offender in some matters. The plea added criminal liability was personal in nature and could not be attributed to family merely because of a blood relationship.
According to the petition, local police authorities had adopted a pattern of implicating the petitioner and her husband in successive criminal cases. It alleged that immediately after securing bail in one criminal case, the petitioner and her husband were nominated in another FIR without any fair, impartial or independent inquiry into their alleged role.
The plea further asserted that the criminal process was being utilised as a means to exert pressure upon the family and to secure information regarding the whereabouts of Shaganpreet Singh. Such an approach was wholly contrary to the settled principles of criminal jurisprudence.
The petition detailed allegations of illegal detention, custodial harassment, unlawful entry into the petitioner’s residence, removal of CCTV DVR systems, disappearance of valuables, physical and mental harassment and repeated misuse of the criminal process.
The petitioner also alleged that certain police officials demanded illegal gratification of Rs 20 lakh and threatened that the petitioner and her family would continue to be implicated in criminal cases in the event of non-payment.
It was added that repeated implication of elderly parents in successive FIRs, coupled with the failure to conduct meaningful inquiry or take action on their complaints, demonstrated a mala fide exercise of police power and abuse of the criminal justice process. The continued harassment of the petitioner and her husband on this basis amounted to an abuse of police powers and an infringement of their fundamental rights.
Among other things, the petitioner sought a direction to the respondents to ensure a fair and independent inquiry by a senior police official to verify the veracity of the allegations and ascertain their actual role and involvement before the petitioner and her husband were made accused in any future FIR arising out of similar allegations or complaints.
The petitioner submitted that she and her husband were willing to cooperate fully with any inquiry and investigation. However, to prevent abuse of the criminal process and safeguard their fundamental rights, no coercive action should be taken against them without first conducting a thorough inquiry, recording tangible reasons and thereafter proceeding strictly in accordance with law.
The petition also sought directions for an independent and impartial inquiry, protection against further harassment and arbitrary implication, preservation of relevant electronic and documentary evidence, and safeguards to ensure that any future action was taken strictly in accordance with law.
The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on July 24, by which time the State has been asked to place its status report before the court.
