CHANDIGARH: A local court here on Monday refused to accept the surrender of former Shiromani Akali Dal Minister Sucha Singh Langah, directing him to go to Punjab's Gurdaspur town where the rape and cheating case was registered against him.
On Monday, Langah surrendered at the District and Sessions Court and since it was closed on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the court redirected him to a court in Gurdaspur. He was accompanied by his lawyer and some associates when he arrived at the court complex to surrender.
This move came as a surprise because Langah had been underground for the last three days after Punjab police booked him in a rape case on the complaint of a woman employee of the Punjab Police Vigilance Department.
The woman in her complaint to the police on September 28 had alleged that Langah had been blackmailing and raping her since 2009. She stated that she came in contact with Langah after the death of her husband who was in Punjab Police. The former minister, promising her a government job, allegedly raped her and then purportedly continued to rape her on the pretext that he had given her government job.
The woman, in her complaint, also attached a video which showed Langah in a compromising position with her. The video has, since then, gone viral on social media. She also alleged that Langah had sold her property fraudulently.
After he was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, Langah, who was a Shiromani Akali Dal core committee member and president of party's Gurdaspur district unit, announced his resignation from all party posts and from the membership of the SGPC.
Announcing his resignation, Langah had said, "I have full faith in the judiciary. Therefore, I am submitting to the process of law by surrendering in the court tomorrow (Saturday). I have firm belief that truth will come out and justice will be done to me."
SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, who accepted the resignation immediately, had said Langah had done so (resigned) to "submit himself to the process of law".
Langah termed the case "political vendetta" and "premeditated" just before the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat by-poll on October 11. The SAD and alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party has defended Langah, saying that the case was motivated by Punjab's ruling Congress before the crucial by-poll. The Congress has rubbished the charges.
Langah has had a controversial past and he has been known for grabbing land and having links with smugglers. He was booked by the Vigilance Bureau in a case of disproportionate assets in 2002.