Molestation case: Punjab AAP MLA Lalpura sentenced to four years imprisonment

Chandigarh, Sep 12 Punjab AAP legislator from Khadoor Sahib, Manjinder Lalpura, was on Friday sentenced to four years in prison by a court in connection with a 2013 molestation and assault case involving a Dalit woman when he was a taxi driver.

He was arrested and sent to jail.

Twelve people were convicted by the court of Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar in Tarn Taran town, with seven arrested, one deceased, and one already lodged in Tihar Jail.

Three accused have not been arrested so far.

Lalpura is the fifth AAP legislator in Punjab arrested by the police or the Vigilance Bureau in various cases. His arrest comes close on the heels of a rape case against Sanaur legislator Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who has been on the run since September 2.

The court held Lalpura guilty on Wednesday, along with five police personnel -- Davinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, and Harjinder Singh.

However, three others -- Gagandeep Singh and policemen Narinderjit Singh and Gurdeep Raj -- were not sent to judicial custody.

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.

The 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).

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