CBI Court Sentences Ex-Punjab Cops in 2007 Scandal
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Synopsis
A CBI court in Mohali has sentenced former Punjab police officials Devinder Singh Garcha and Paramdip Singh Sandhu to five years of rigorous imprisonment each for their involvement in the 2007 sex scandal in Moga, alongside fines imposed for their corrupt practices.
Key Takeaways
- Two former Punjab police officials sentenced to five years.
- Charges included blackmailing and extortion.
- Involvement of high-profile individuals in the scandal.
- CBI took over the case following High Court orders.
- Convictions under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Chandigarh, April 7 (NationPress) A CBI court located in Mohali has sentenced former Senior Superintendent of Police Devinder Singh Garcha and former Superintendent of Police, Headquarters, Paramdip Singh Sandhu to five years of rigorous imprisonment each, related to the 2007 sex scandal in Moga.
In addition to the prison sentences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on both individuals.
Garcha and Sandhu faced arrest and were charged with blackmailing powerful individuals to extort money.
Former Inspector Amarjit Singh received a sentence of six-and-a-half years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh, while former Sub-Inspector Raman Kumar was sentenced to eight years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 3 lakh.
Both were convicted for falsely implicating notable businessmen in a gangrape case to extort money from them.
CBI Special Judge Rakesh Gupta delivered the verdict after convicting Garcha, Sandhu, Kumar, and Singh under Sections 13(1)(D) and 13(2) of the PC Act on March 29.
Besides corruption, Raman Kumar was also found guilty of extortion, while Amarjit Singh was convicted for attempting extortion.
The court acquitted Barjinder Singh, also known as Makhan, son of former Punjab minister Tota Singh, and Sukhraj Singh from all accusations.
The CBI took charge of the investigation following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 11, 2007, and subsequently registered a new FIR the following day.
This scandal involved high-ranking politicians and senior police officials exploiting wealthy individuals by ensnaring them in a flesh trade case.
According to the investigation, the accused public servants misused their authority and conspired to secure illicit financial gains through corrupt practices.
The charge sheet indicated that two women, including Manjit Kaur, colluded with the police officers and Barjinder Singh to extort money from influential individuals by threatening them with false allegations of sexual abuse if they did not comply.
