SAD protests, seeks arrest of MLA Bains in rape case

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, July 12

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) held a massive protest in front of the office of the Commissioner of Police here demanding the immediate arrest of Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) leader Simarjit Singh Bains against whom a case of rape was registered today.

Will intensify protest if MLA not held by tuesday

The SAD announced that in case LIP leader Simarjit Singh Bains is not arrested by Tuesday it will intensify its agitation by organising a ‘gherao’ of the residence of Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who, it maintained has been protecting the LIP leader for more than seven months.

The party announced that in case Bains was not arrested by tomorrow it would intensify its agitation by organising a ‘gherao’ of the residence of Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who, it maintained had been protecting the LIP leader for more than seven months.

Senior party leaders, including Maheshinder Singh Grewal, Sharanjit Singh Dhillon and Hira Singh Gabria, demanded that the Vidhan Sabha membership of Bains should also be annulled.

Stating that truth had prevailed and the law won, Grewal said the case had proved that the women were not safe in the Congress government. “Goons like Simarjit Bains target and sexually exploit women but the Congress government fails to take action against them because they enjoyed the patronage of Ashu,” he said.

He said similarly the Ludhiana police had also violated the guidelines of the Supreme Court, which had stipulated that a case should be registered in a complaint of rape within 72 hours, besides stating that the trial in high-profile cases of rape should be completed in three months. He sought explanation from the Ludhiana police as to what investigation it had conducted in the case since the last seven months and why it had not proceeded against the LIP leader for so long.

Former minister and SAD leader Sharanjit Dhillon appreciated the role of prominent lawyer and SAD leader Harish Rai Dhanda for his efforts in bringing the LIP leader to book. Dhanda, who also represents the victim, said he would take the case to its logical conclusion. “We will also take up the issue of destruction of vital evidence by the Ludhiana police”.

Among others present at the occasion were Ranjit Singh Dhillon, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Darshan Singh Shivalik, Amarjit Singh Chawla, Gurcharan Singh Grewal, Harbhajan Singh Dang, Vijay Danav and Harcharan Singh Golwaria.