Hindustan Times (Bathinda)

Former MLA Bains’ brother sent to 2-day police custody

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

LUDHIANA: A Ludhiana court on Sunday sent younger brother of former MLA and Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) chief Simarjeet Singh Bains to two-day police custody in an alleged rape case of 44-year old woman. Karamjit Singh Bains was arrested on Saturday.

Police said as the former MLA, the key accused in the case, and five others are yet to be arrested, they need Karamjit’s five-day remand. Police told the court that they have to recover the mobile phone of the accused through which he is in contact with the former MLA and the other accused.

Simarjeet, former MLA from Ludhiana’s Atam Nagar constituen­cy, is absconding in the case. A court of judicial magistrate Harsimranj­it Kaur had declared Simarjeet a proclaimed offender (PO) in the case after he failed to respond to the warrants and appear in the court. On April 21, the division number 6 police had booked him for “nonappeara­nce in response to a proclamati­on”.

A 44-year-old complainan­t had alleged that the former Atam Nagar legislator had raped her multiple times after she had approached him for help in a property dispute case.

Though the woman lodged a complaint against Simarjeet on November 16, 2020, a first informatio­n report (FIR) was registered on July 10, 2021, on the court’s directions against Simarjeet, his two brotherska­ramjit Singh Bains, Paramjit Singh Bains, aides Sukhchain Singh, Pardeep Kumar, Baljinder Kaur and Jasveer Kaur under Sections 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with an intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 506 (criminal intimidati­on) and 120-B (conspiracy) of IPC.

Victim helped cops trace Karamjit

People privy to the developmen­t said the complainan­t helped the police in tracing the location of Karamjit. The complainan­t on Saturday dialled the number of the accused. The police traced his location and nabbed him from Ranjit Avenue.

The accused had tried to distract the police claiming that he is Amarjit Singh and not a brother of the former MLA.

When frisked, the police found his driving licence on which his name was mentioned. After the confirmati­on, the police took him in custody, said officials.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Karamjit Singh Bains, brother of former MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, being produced in a Ludhiana court on Sunday.
HT PHOTO Karamjit Singh Bains, brother of former MLA Simarjeet Singh Bains, being produced in a Ludhiana court on Sunday.

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