AAP legislator Manjinder Lalpura convicted, arrested in 2013 molestation case

Chandigarh, Sep 10 (IANS) A court in Punjab on Wednesday convicted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from Khadoor Sahib, Manjinder Singh Lalpura, and 10 others for molestation and assault of a woman in 2013.

The court of Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar will pronounce the quantum of sentence on September 12. After the conviction, the MLA and other accused were taken into custody and sent to sub-jail in Patti town in Tarn Taran district.

Legislator Lalpura had contested the 2022 Assembly elections from the Khadoor Sahib seat and defeated Congress' Ramanjit Singh Sikki by a margin of 16,491 votes.

Lalpura was a taxi driver when the 2013 incident took place at a wedding hall in Tarn Taran, when the woman was allegedly caned by the police and the other accused, including Lalpura.

She was reportedly molested during the police assault.

The woman complainant, who belongs to the Scheduled Castes (SC), was assaulted by the accused, comprising policemen on March 3, 2013. The incident took place when the complainant along with her family members came to a marriage venue to attend the function.

This incident saw widespread outrage and the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance, directing paramilitary force protection for the victim and her cousin Jagjit Singh, an eyewitness, and her family members.

On March 19, 2013, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered the transfer of seven policemen involved in the case, and directed security arrangements for the victim and her family, while strongly criticising the conduct of the police.

The accused were facing trial under Sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), and 283 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The other accused have been identified as Devinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, Harjinder Singh, Narinderjit Singh and Gurdeep Raj (the policemen), Harwinder Singh Shoshi, Kanwaldep Singh and Gagandeep Singh, a driver. Another policeman Paramjit Singh died during the proceedings of the case.

--IANS

vg/pgh