Moga acid attack: Husband, three others get life term

Kulwinder Sandhu

Tribune News Service

Moga, October 26

Additional District and Sessions Judge of Moga Lakhwinder Kaur Duggal today sentenced four persons to life imprisonment in the infamous Moga acid attack case.

An estranged husband had attacked his wife and father-in-law with acid on July 11, 2013, at Mehna village when the duo was on their way to the district courts on a two-wheeler for a hearing in the divorce case.

The victim, Mandeep Kaur, suffered 70 per cent burn injuries, while her father Shamsher Singh of Daya Kalan village received 30 per cent burns. She also lost an eye in the attack.

An FIR under Sections 307, 326-A and 120-B of the IPC was registered against woman’s husband Harinder Singh and his three associates Parwaan Singh, Jagjit Singh and Deepinder Singh, who helped him in the attack.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 12 lakh on Harinder Singh, which will be paid to the victims as compensation. Besides, a fine of Rs 2 lakh each was imposed on all three co-accused. If the convicts fail to deposit the fine, they will have to remain in jail for another three years.

In a first-of-its-kind judgment, Duggal ordered the District Legal Services Authority to pay Rs 5 lakh as additional compensation to the woman within 15 days and report it to the court, said advocate Amit Ghai, the victim’s lawyer.

Four acquitted of charges

Earlier, Harinder Singh’s father Paramjit Singh, mother Karamjit Kaur, uncle Sukhwinder Singh and aunt Sukhmandar Kaur were also booked under Sections 498-A and 406 of the IPC, but the investigating officer later gave a clean chit to them while submitting the challan in the court.

Victim was forced to marry

Mandeep Kaur had earlier alleged that she was called by her husband on the pretext of holding his birthday party before their marriage in 2009 and he administered intoxicants to her. “I was sexually abused and he took some obscene picture too. He blackmailed and forced me to marry him. I initially opposed the marriage, but surrendered to protect the social dignity of my parents,” she said.

Woman underwent 48 surgeries

Shamsher Singh said his daughter underwent 48 surgeries so far and the treatment was still going on in a Ludhiana hospital.

Although satisfied with the judgment, Shamsher said he had already spent about Rs 50 lakh on the treatment of his daughter, but the district administration gave just Rs 3-lakh relief that too after the HC directions. He also demanded from the state government to reimburse all medical bills.