AAP MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura sentenced to four years in jail in 2013 assault and molestation case
PTC Web Desk: In a major development, a Tarn Taran court has sentenced Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura to four years in jail in connection with a 2013 assault and molestation case. The verdict was delivered on September 10, 2024, following which the MLA was arrested and sent to jail.
The court held Lalpura, who was working as a taxi driver at the time of the incident, guilty along with five police personnel — Davinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, and Harjinder Singh. However, three others, including Gagandeep Singh and policemen Narinderjit Singh and Gurdeep Raj, were not sent to judicial custody.
According to the victim’s counsel, Amit Dhawan, the case was registered under Sections 323, 324, and 354 of the IPC along with provisions of the SC/ST Act. In total, 12 persons were convicted, with seven arrested, one deceased, and one already lodged in Tihar Jail. Three accused have not been arrested yet.
The 2013 incident
The case dates back to March 3, 2013, when the victim attended her maternal aunt’s son’s wedding. At that time, Lalpura, along with Harvinder Singh and Gurdeep Singh, allegedly misbehaved with her and passed caste-based remarks. The victim alleged that the accused, along with police officials, assaulted her and her family, and subjected her to indecent behaviour and harassment.
This is not the first time Lalpura has been in controversy. In 2023, he had a confrontation with then-SSP Gurmeet Singh Chauhan. The MLA accused the officer of colluding with thieves and mishandling a mining-related operation. Lalpura further alleged that Chauhan had sent policemen at night to harass his relative, warning that he would retaliate against the action.
SSP Chauhan denied the charges, stating the operation was routine and the MLA’s claims were baseless. The controversy escalated after Lalpura posted about it on social media, ultimately resulting in Chauhan’s transfer by the Punjab Government.
- PTC NEWS
