Punjab AAP MLA Manjinder Lalpura gets 4 years in jail in 12-year-old molestation case       

A court in Tarn Taran on Friday sentenced Khadoor Sahib AAP MLA Manjinder Lalpura, to four years in prison, two days after the legislator was convicted in a case of molestation and assault of a woman in 2013.

Six others, who were also convicted in the case on Wednesday, were also sentenced to four years.

The court of Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar awarded the quantum of punishment.

The case had been registered under relevant Sections, including 354 (assault or the use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and the SC/ST Act.

Fines of different amounts have also been imposed on the sitting MLA.

Ten convicts were awarded imprisonment. Seven convicts, including the MLA, were awarded imprisonment for four years under the SC/ST Act. The remaining three were awarded imprisonment for one year under different sections of the IPC.

Following the conviction, the MLA had been taken into custody.

The complainant woman, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, was allegedly assaulted by the accused people, including Lalpura and some cops from the Tarn Taran police, on March 3, 2013. The incident took place when the complainant along with her family came to a marriage venue for a wedding function.

At that time, Lalpura was a taxi driver, said the complainant's counsel earlier.

The incident led to widespread condemnation and the Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance, directing paramilitary force protection for the victim and her cousin Jagjit Singh, who was an eyewitness, and her family.

Lalpura had contested the 2022 assembly election from Khadoor Sahib and defeated Congress's Ramanjit Sikki.