CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Khadoor Sahib, Manjinder Singh Lalpura was arrested on Wednesday after he along with six others were convicted by the court in a 12-year-old case of molestation and assault of a woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste community.
Additional Sessions Judge of Taran Taran, Prem Kumar pronounced the verdict.
Soon after his conviction, police took Lalpura, who was present in the court, into custody. Subsequently, he was remanded to judicial custody.
The quantum of sentence will be pronounced by the court on September 12.
The case dates back to March 3, 2013 when the woman was allegedly molested and canned at a marriage palace on the Goindwal road in Tarn Taran by Lalpura and others including police personnel.
This led to widespread condemnation and the Supreme Court took suo motu notice thus ordering paramilitary force protection for the victim and her cousin who was an eyewitness, besides her family members and the then sarpanch of the village.
Then a case was registered under Sections 354, 323, 506, 148 and 149 of the IPC and also provisions of the SC/ST Act.
The complainant said,`` Justice is being delivered finally.’’
Meanwhile the lawyer representing Lalpura said that their legal fight would continue as they will challenge the conviction in the high court.
Lalpura had defeated Shiromani Akali Dal’s Ranjit Singh Brahmpura by 16,491 votes in the 2022 assembly elections. Before he joined the AAP, he was a taxi driver.
Lalpura has always been in the news for the wrong reasons. The then SSP of Tarn Taran, Gaurav Toora was transferred by the state government. In 2023, the then SSP of the district Gurmeet Singh Chauhan was transferred after a tiff with Lalpura. This, after the police booked the MLA's kin in a case. In June this year Abhimanyu Rana SSP of Taran Taran was transferred at his behest. The legislator was also critical of the handling of sub-inspector Charanjit Singh’s killing in April this year.