Punjab AAP MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura and seven others were convicted in a 12-year-old molestation case on Wednesday. Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar announced the verdict. Police took the MLA and other accused into custody and shifted them to Patti sub-jail. Sentencing will be announced on September 12.
The case began on March 3, 2013. A Scheduled Caste woman attended a wedding with her parents near Goindwal Sahib. Twelve men, including six policemen, assaulted her. They tore her clothes during the attack. The Supreme Court later took suo motu notice of the crime and ordered paramilitary protection for the woman.
Along with Lalpura, the convicted men include Devinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, Harjinder Singh, Harwinder Singh Shoshi, and Kanwaldeep Singh. Three others—driver Gagandeep Singh and policemen Narinderjit Singh and Gurdeep Raj—were convicted under separate IPC sections. One accused, Paramjit Singh, died during trial.
The victim welcomed the ruling. She said the guilty must get maximum punishment. She added that her husband stood by her after marriage and helped her fight the long battle for justice.
