Kiran Bedi, former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry and IPS officer, has refuted allegations published by The News Minute that she misused surveillance, violated privacy, and suppressed evidence. The News Minute report accused Bedi of using her influence within the Delhi Police in 2003 to conduct surveillance on her 20-year-old daughter and her daughter’s alleged partner, a hotelier.
Allegations on Kiran Bedi
The report claimed this surveillance breached their privacy and that a potential lead in the 2003 sexual assault of a Swiss diplomat was withheld during this operation. Further allegations included that the hotelier was involved in a visa scheme using Bedi’s public profile, and that despite knowing about this, police took no action. The report suggested Bedi prioritised protecting her daughter’s future over legal action.
The report’s claims were based on emails and cassette tapes allegedly accessed by The News Minute, which included correspondence between Bedi, a confidant, and a private detective agency, during the time she was a UN peacekeeping advisor in New York.
Kiran Bedi responds
Bedi defended her actions, stating she acted as a concerned mother. She asserted the surveillance was necessary to protect her daughter from exploitation while she was abroad. She maintained the police’s involvement was a legitimate legal intervention. She also accused The News Minute of illegally accessing her emails, questioning the legality of their source.
She told TOI that “this watch saved my daughter from the clutches of a devious man who was using her knowing I was out of the country. I am grateful to police and my friends for supporting me in this time of crisis”.
Regarding the alleged withheld evidence in the Swiss diplomat case, Bedi denied any knowledge, stating her focus was solely on her daughter’s safety. She also suggested the timing of the report was suspicious, coinciding with her daughter’s ongoing family court case.
The 2003 sexual assault of the Swiss diplomat in Delhi remains unsolved.