Punjab News Express/Satinder Bains
CHANDIGARH: What could be the compulsions of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to go soft on rape accused former minister and SAD leader Sucha Singh Langah who is roaming free in Chandigarh and also visited the house of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal in sector 9 here accompanied by Punjab Police security personnel.
Punjab Police failed to arrest Lnagah who was present in Chanidgarh court complex for two hours. he walked in alongwith his lawyers and left the complex without fear of being arrested. Though his sex video has gone viral on social media, he showed no signs of tension and fear of being arrested. He walked confidently into the court complex as if he is coming to receive an award. The moment he entered the court complex, media had got wind of it and his presence was widely circulated on social and electronic media.
The whole world knew that Langah is present in Chandigarh court complex except Punjab Police which has its headquarter in the city. Cerain media persons also informed the senior Punjab Police officials about the development but no steps were taken to arrest the accused. Gurdaspur Police had claimed that they were conducting raids to arrest Langah but when SSP Gurdaspur Harcharan Singh Bhullar was informed by inteliigence about his presence in Chandigarh court, he seemed helpless to rush police party to court complex though already stationed in Chandigarh.
The sources said that Langah was in touch with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and staying in his Naya Gaon residence for the last two days. Police had full information about his whereabouts but failed to arrest him. Langah drove to sector 9 reisdence of Sukhbir Badal who told SAD media cell lawyers to arrange his surrender in Chandigarh court.
The SAD is locked with Congress party in political battle in Gurdaspur bye-election. SAD an alliance partner of BJP faced lot of embarrassment due to rape case against Langah and sex video of Langah that went viral on social media. It was expected that Capt Amarinder Singh Government would act fst and hard against Langah to take political mileage of the incident. However, allowing Langah to appear in court to surrender and later move out unchecked raises many eyebrows.
The sources in Police said that Police had been asked to go soft on Langah. But it is not clear who is issuing instructions to Police. One thing is clear that if SSP is in mute mode, the instructions might have come from the top office in government.
Taking a soft stand SAD instead of expelling Langah from party has taken resignation of Langah from all party posts and from primary membership of party. The meeting between Langah and Sukhbir Badal in the morning showed that Langah was made to resign due to political compulsions of bye-election of Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat. Lnagah beloged to Gurdaspur and during his court appearance he took opportunity to appeal to voters to support SAD-BJP alliance.
The Chandigarh court has advised Langah to appear in Gurdaspur court to surrender because Chandigarh is not the jurisdiction of police station where rape case has been arrested.
It appears that Langah is still enjoying the patronage of SAD president and it was due to influence of Badal family that Punjab Chief Minister is also not very keen to persue the case. If he is serious that he shall immediately act against SSP Gurdaspur who failed to arrest Langah moving around freely. Would Capt Amarinder Singh overnment extend similar gesture to other rapist in the state as well ?