Punjab AAP MLA awarded 4 years sentence in 12-year-old molestation case

Amritsar, Sep 12 (PTI) A court in Tarn Taran on Friday sentenced the sitting AAP MLA from Khadoor Sahib, Manjinder Singh Lalpura, to four years in prison, two days after the legislator was convicted in connection with the molestation and assault of a woman in 2013.

Six others, who were also convicted in connection with the case on Wednesday, were also sentenced to four years.

The court of Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar awarded the quantum of punishment.

The case had been registered under relevant Sections, including 354 (assault or the use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST Act.

The court awarded the sentence to the sitting MLA under the SC/ST Act for four years, three years in Section 354, one year under Section 506 and one year under Section 323. All the sentences will run concurrently.

Fines of different amounts have also been imposed on him.

Ten accused were awarded imprisonment. Seven accused, including the MLA, were awarded imprisonment for four years under the SC/ST Act. The remaining three were awarded imprisonment for one year under different sections of the IPC.

Following the conviction, the MLA had been taken into custody immediately after the court held him guilty.

The complainant woman, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, was allegedly assaulted by the accused persons, including Lalpura and some cops from the Tarn Taran police on March 3, 2013. The incident took place when the complainant along with her family members came to a marriage venue for a wedding function.

At that time, Lalpura was a taxi driver, said the complainant's counsel earlier.

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

Lalpura had contested the 2022 assembly elections from the Khadoor Sahib seat and had defeated Congress' Ramanjit Singh Sikki by a margin of 16,491 votes. PTI JMS SUN KSS KSS