A Punjab court has convicted Aam Aadmi Party MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura and 10 others in a 2013 case of molestation and assault against a woman. Sentencing will be pronounced on September 12.
Tarn Taran: A court in Punjab has convicted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura from Khadoor Sahib and ten other individuals in a case of molestation and assault against a woman in 2013. The court of Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar will pronounce the sentence on September 12. Lalpura and other accused in the case have been taken into custody and sent to the sub-jail in Tarn Taran.
Case of Molestation and Assault Against a Dalit Woman in 2013
The incident occurred on September 4, 2013. At that time, a 19-year-old Dalit woman and her family members were attending a wedding ceremony. It is alleged that taxi driver Manjinder Singh Lalpura and other accused molested the woman and assaulted her when she resisted.
The victim called the police at the time of the incident, but the team that arrived at the scene also assaulted the woman. A video of the incident went viral on social media, after which the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance and directed the authorities to provide security to the woman and her family.
Arrest of Eight Accused, Including Lalpura
Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar has ordered the pronouncement of the sentence on September 12. The police have arrested eight accused, including Lalpura, in this case. The other arrested accused include Ravinder Singh, Kawaldeep Singh, former policeman Davinder Kumar, Sarj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, and Harjinder Singh.
The victim's lawyer, Amit Dhawan, stated that one of the 12 accused, Paramjit Singh, passed away during the trial. Three other convicts – Gurdeep Raj, Gagandeep Singh, and Narinderjit Singh – are yet to be arrested. Narinderjit was also a police officer.
Manjinder Singh Lalpura's Political Journey
Manjinder Singh Lalpura is currently an MLA from Khadoor Sahib, elected on an AAP ticket in the 2022 assembly elections. He secured 55,756 votes and defeated two-time Congress MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki by approximately 16,500 votes.
At the time of the incident, Lalpura was working as a taxi driver. This case remained in the spotlight for a long time before he started his political career. Now, questions are being raised about his political image following the court's decision.
Justice for the Victim After 13 Years
This court verdict signifies the process of justice in a 13-year-old case. The victim stated that she had been waiting for justice for a long time, and the conviction has brought her psychological relief. Lawyer Amit Dhawan said that this is an important precedent that justice can still be achieved even after a long time.
There have been mixed reactions to this verdict in society. While people are happy that justice has been served to the victim, the conviction of politically active leaders has caused a stir in political circles. Following the court's order, the sentencing of all the accused will now take place.
