No relief for AAP MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura in molestation case as HC upholds 4-year jail term
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday refused to grant relief to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Khadoor Sahib, Manjinder Singh Lalpura, who had sought a stay on his four-year jail sentence awarded by a lower court in a molestation case.
The High Court, while hearing the plea, declined to suspend the sentence, observing that since no action has yet been initiated to disqualify him as an MLA, there was no immediate need for judicial intervention at this stage.
Lalpura’s counsel had argued that unless a stay was granted, his Assembly membership would automatically stand cancelled, possibly leading to fresh elections in the constituency. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the urgency, noting, “When the process of disqualification has not even started, what is the hurry?”
The case pertains to an incident dating back to March 3, 2013, when Lalpura was working as a taxi driver. He, along with several others, was accused of assaulting and molesting a woman during a wedding ceremony. The woman alleged that Lalpura and his aides used casteist remarks, misbehaved with her, and physically assaulted her and her family.
Two months ago, the Tarn Taran District Court convicted 12 accused, including Lalpura and several police personnel, under the SC/ST Act and Sections 323, 324, and 354 of the IPC. The court subsequently sentenced Lalpura and six others to four years in prison on September 12, 2024. Following the verdict, the police arrested the MLA and six others, while a few accused were not sent to judicial custody.
Among the 12 accused, one has died and another is already lodged in Tihar Jail in a separate case. The convicted policemen include Davinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwini Kumar, Tarseem Singh, and Harjinder Singh.
- PTC NEWS
