HC grants bail to ex-Akali minister Langah in rape case
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday granted bail to former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister Sucha Singh Langah, days after the complainant turned hostile.
Langah, 61, who served as the agriculture minister in the SADBJP government from 2007 to 2012, was booked on September 29 last year, 11 days ahead of the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, after a woman filed a complaint alleging the Akali leader raped her on multiple occasions. But on February 28, she retracted her statement in a Gurdaspur court.
Langah’s lawyer JS Bedi said he was granted bail with a condition that he will not travel abroad without permission of the court.
While seeking bail, Bedi said it was a delayed FIR, filed after nine years, and it was a result of political vendetta.
The woman charged Langah with raping her repeatedly since 2009 using his influence as a top leader of the Akali Dal. She submitted a pen drive with a 20-minute video purportedly showing Langah establishing physical relations with her. She had also accused Langah of selling her properties using his political influence.
The former Akali minister surrendered in the Gurdaspur court on October 4 last year and charges were framed on February 14 under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. He moved high court on December 22 seeking bail.
A detailed order is awaited.