Neeraj BaliChandigarh, Sept. 4 -- Punjab Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira publicly tore up a legal notice from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's wife, Dr Gurpreet Kaur Mann, on Friday and dared her to sue him, escalating a dispute over unproven allegations of a Rs 5-crore demand linked to a criminal case.

Dr Gurpreet Kaur has sent legal notices to Khaira and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, demanding an apology within 24 hours over statements and social media posts concerning the allegations. The notice warns of legal action if they fail to comply.

Khaira chose not merely to reject the demand but to do so publicly. Appearing on Facebook Live with the notice in his hand, he said he would neither reply nor apologise an...