SAD leader arrested for ''raping, cheating'' widow in Patiala

Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, January 10

The Patiala Police on Thursday arrested Harvinder Singh Harpalpur, a senior SAD leader and relative of SAD MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, for allegedly raping and cheating a woman in Patiala.

A widow from Ghanaur had in November alleged “threat to her life and children” after she pressed charges of rape and cheating against Harpalpur.

Sources said a police team rounded up Harpalpur who was hiding from past two months.

The police on November 2 had registered an FIR pertaining to rape, cheating and conspiracy against Harpalpur. He is the nephew of MP Prem Singh Chandumajra and cousin of MLA from Sanaur Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra.

The victim had alleged that the accused was threatening her. As per the FIR, the 40-year-old victim, who is uneducated and got 13 bighas of land in Ghanaur village after the death of her husband, wanted to get the land transferred in her name.

“Former sarpanch of Baghora village Jasvir Singh and Harpalpur took my thumb impression on some documents on the pretext of getting my work done,” she had alleged in the FIR.

“Once I gave them the documents with my thumb impression, they asked for sexual favours to get the work done. When I denied their offer, they refused to return my documents, following which I accepted the demand,” the victim alleged.

Harpalpur had termed the allegations baseless and “politically motivated”.