KHADOOR SAHIB, PUNJAB – In a significant legal development, the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge has sentenced Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Khadoor Sahib, Majinder Singh Lalpura, and seven others to four years of rigorous imprisonment. The conviction, which concludes a 12-year legal battle, is for the molestation and torture of a Scheduled Caste girl.
Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar pronounced the sentence on Friday. Along with Lalpura, those convicted under Sections 3(1)(x) and 4 of the SC/ST Act and Sections 354, 148, and 149 of the IPC include Devinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, Harjinder Singh (all policemen), Harwinder Singh Shoshi, and Kanwaldeep Singh. The court has also imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on each of the accused and has declared that the victim is entitled to compensation.
The case dates back to March 3, 2013, when the victim was assaulted by a group of 12 people, including six policemen, at a wedding function on the Goindwal Sahib road. Following the incident, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the matter and ordered paramilitary protection for the victim.
In a separate sentencing, three other individuals who were found guilty under Sections 323, 506, 148, and 149 of the IPC were each sentenced to one year of imprisonment. The Majinder Singh Lalpura sentence brings a conclusion to a long-standing case that had previously drawn the attention of the highest court in the country.