Langah rape case: Court passes strictures against Patiala jail supdt, doctors
JUDGE SAYS JAIL SUPERINTENDENT AND DOCTORS OF RAJINDRA MEDICAL COLLEGE ARE ‘HAND IN GLOVE WITH RAPE ACCUSED’, WHO WAS HOSPITALISED A DAY BEFORE CHARGES WERE TO BE FRAMED AGAINST HIM
PATIALA: As former Punjab minister Sucha Singh Langah skipped two court hearings in the rape case against him, a local court on Tuesday passed strictures against the superintendent of Patiala central jail and doctors of the Rajindra Medical College and Hospital of being hand in glove with the accused.
Langah was shifted to hospital, a day before charges were to be framed against him in the court.
Additional district and sessions judge Prem Kumar summoned jail superintendent Rajan Kapur to explain his conduct, apart from directing the SSP Gurdaspur to ensure presence of the accused and others summoned for framing of charges.
The judge remarked that it appears that the accused are deliberately trying to delay the trial.
The judge got perturbed as the jail superintendent did not produce Langah on January 24 and January 29 on video conferencing for framing of charges.
On both days, Langah was not produced before the court and his counsel demanded deferment of framing of charges beyond February 9, when the Punjab and Haryana high court will hear Langahs’ bail application. This perturbed the judge, who said doctors and the jail superintendent are causing delay in the proceedings, just to give benefit to accused Langah and causing interference in judicial proceedings.
Langah was admitted to Rajindra Hospital on January 27 and shifted to PGI on Monday evening.
In an order, the judge remarked that accused Langah was not produced despite a direction to Patiala jail superintendent in this regard.
The jail superintendent failed to produce the accused on January 24 through video conferencing.
On the same day, the court also called the jail superintendent on video conference, but he failed to appear.
On Tuesday, the police produced a photocopy of the health status of Langah given by Dr Ashish Bhagat of the Rajindra Hospital.
“It appears that superintendent, central jail, Patiala, is hand in glove with accused Sucha Singh Langah, and intentionally not producing the accused through video conferencing and the superintendent himself also not appeared on video conference when this court asked him to do so.
The requests of adjournments are deemed to be planned,” read the court order.
The judge said, “It appears to the court that in connivance with the doctors concerned, the accused has got procured false reports of status of his health and these persons are causing delay in the proceedings just to give benefit to accused Sucha Singh Langah and causing interference in judicial proceedings.”
The judge has issued production warrants of the accused and also summoned the jail superintendent on February 1.
When contacted, jail superintendent Rajan Kapur said it is a judicial order and he cannot comment on it. He said that he will explain his version in the court.
Sucha Singh Langah was booked in the rape case on the complaint of a lady constable, after a video of his immoral act had gone viral in September 2017.