Model Town Police file FIR after Rs 18 lakh paid for false promise to withdraw UK rape case against husband
Ludhiana: An NRI woman and her father have been booked by the Model Town Police in Ludhiana in a case of cheating and fraud. The accused — Harpreet Kaur, a resident of London, and her father Paramjit Singh of Bajra Colony — allegedly took Rs 18 lakh from the victim’s family in return for withdrawing a rape and assault case filed in the UK against Harpreet’s husband, but failed to fulfil the promise, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
The complaint was filed by Dhanjeet Singh, a resident of Model Town, whose brother Satnam Singh was married to Harpreet.
According to the FIR, Satnam and Harpreet got married on July 17, 2021, with the approval of both families. A year into the marriage, Harpreet insisted that Satnam accompany her to London, where she was going on a study visa, while he travelled on a spouse visa. The travel and settlement costs were borne by Satnam’s family.
A Ludhiana family claims they were duped out of Rs 18 lakh by an NRI woman and her father who promised to withdraw a UK rape case against the woman’s husband but failed to do so.
Soon after settling in the UK, Harpreet allegedly began an extramarital relationship with a man she met at university. In an effort to separate from her husband, she allegedly filed false charges of rape and assault against Satnam. He was arrested by the UK authorities and later sentenced to eight years in prison.
Dhanjeet said that after learning of the charges, the family approached Harpreet’s father, who demanded Rs 18 lakh in front of the village panchayat, claiming the case would be withdrawn. However, even after receiving the money, no action was taken by the accused to fulfil the promise.
Following a police inquiry, a case was registered under Section 318(4) (Cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Sub-Inspector Sita Ram from the Model Town police station confirmed the FIR and said further investigation is underway.
