BJP MLA's son shielded

Gangrape Case
FIR against BJP leader’s son quashed
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 9
The Amritsar (Rural) police has quietly quashed the FIR registered against the son of the district president of the BJP. The former, along with two accomplices, was accused of gangraping two Dalit sisters, one a minor and another a widow, following an inquiry, conducted by former SP Amrik Singh.

Earlier, Ram Sharn Pal, the district president BJP (Rural) had alleged that his son was a victim of a “deep-rooted” conspiracy, hatched by some senior Akali leaders of the Ajnala assembly constituency.

Though Vikram, alias Vickey, son of the BJP leader, Rachhpal, alias Sonu, and Goldi were arrested on January 24, the police entrusted the inquiry to the then SP Amrik Singh, who, after a few days, gave a clean chit to the accused.

Gurmit Singh Chohan, SSP, Amritsar (Rural) confirmed that FIR against Sonu and Goldi had been quashed when they were found “innocent” in the inquiry, conducted by Amrik Singh.

The registration of gangrape charges had given rise to bitterness between the coalition partners, the SAD and the BJP in the last week of January. Senior BJP leaders, including Balbir Punj, in charge of the party’s Punjab affairs, state party chief Rajinder Bhandari, MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Manoranjan Kalia, a minister, held a closed-door meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here on January 29 to resolve “differences” between the coalition partners in the district.

The Chief Minister had to assure the senior BJP leaders that the FIR would be quashed. Talking to The Tribune, Ram Sharn Pal claimed that his son was released following submission of an application by the police in the Ajnala court that the case was cancelled in February itself.

The district BJP president alleged that certain Akali leaders had been looking to frame him or a member of his family in some false case due to the tussle during the previous panchayat elections. He said after the Lok Sabha election, he would reveal the names of certain senior leaders of the ruling party who were allegedly instrumental in the registration of a “baseless FIR” against his son.

According to the FIR lodged under Sections 376 and 120-B, IPC (which stand quashed), the three accused were overpowered by the public when they were allegedly gangraping the Dalit sisters.

The FIR was lodged on the complaint of the victims, belonging to Mamo Mahal (Ajnala) village. However, Ram Sharn Pal claimed that both the girls had recorded their statements that his son was not involved in the gangrape.

Another case of a politican being shielded by the government in power.
Here, since the Srimoni Akali Dal and BJP are in power, they have decided to withdraw the case which implicated a BJP MLA,s son of gang rape.
I believe the FIR was genuine and the police have been forced to withdraw it.
This is another reason why the police should be completely independent and we require a change to root out these corrupt politicians.