Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Sep 12: Punjab AAP legislator Manjinder Lalpura, representing Khadoor Sahib, has been sentenced to four years in prison by a Tarn Taran court for his role in a 2013 molestation and assault case involving a Dalit woman, committed when he was working as a taxi driver.
The conviction, handed down by Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar, includes 12 individuals, among them five police personnel. Seven of the accused were arrested following the verdict, one has since died, and another is already imprisoned in Tihar Jail. Three others remain at large.
Lalpura, who won the 2022 Assembly elections by defeating Congress’ Ramanjit Singh Sikki with a margin of 16,491 votes, becomes the fifth AAP MLA in Punjab to be arrested on criminal charges or under vigilance probes. His sentencing closely follows the rape case involving AAP’s Sanaur MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who has been absconding since September 2.
The case dates back to March 3, 2013, when the Dalit woman, attending a wedding at a hall in Tarn Taran, was allegedly caned, molested, and assaulted by Lalpura and a group that included uniformed policemen. The incident triggered widespread public outrage and eventually came under Supreme Court scrutiny, which ordered paramilitary protection for the victim and her family, including key eyewitness Jagjit Singh.
Five police officials — Davinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, and Harjinder Singh — were also convicted. However, three accused — Gagandeep Singh, and policemen Narinderjit Singh and Gurdeep Raj — were not immediately taken into custody.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had earlier rebuked the state police, ordering the transfer of the seven policemen involved and directing security measures for the victim and her family.
The charges against the accused were framed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 354 (assault on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (rioting), and 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons), among others.