E-Paper
Tarn Taran zila parishad member, sarpanch booked for assaulting woman
The woman has alleged that she was called to the farmhouse of the accused to settle a land dispute; her mother went with her, but managed to flee when the accused assaulted her; police have said that it is investigating the rape charges that the victim has alleged
Tarn Taran Police have booked a locally influential Congress leader and sarpanch Awan Kumar, alias Sonu Cheema, and his brother Munish Kumar, alias Monu Cheema, for assaulting a woman at their farm house in Cheema Kalan village. Monu is a zila parishad member. The victim, of the same village, has also accused Sonu of raping her in the Chheharta area of Amritsar on June 19. Police, however, said the rape charges were being investigated
On Wednesday, the woman lodged a complaint on the Punjab Police’s helpline number. She said, “On Wednesday, about 8:30 am, I got a call from Malkiat Singh, the former sarpanch of our village. He told me to go to the farm house so that a compromise can be reached in our land dispute with the Cheemas. I, along with my mother Sukhraj Kaur, visited the farm house where the brothers and Malkiat were present.”
She added, “As soon as we arrived, Sonu started thrashing me while my mother managed to flee. She sent a village panchayat member Jaspal Singh to bring me back from Cheema brothers’ custody. I was allowed to go, but Sonu threatened me if I disclosed the rape.”
DSP, City, Sucha Singh Bal said on the woman’s complaint, a case has been registered under Sections 354 (using assault or criminal force on woman), 323 (hurting a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code against Cheema brothers and Malkiat. He added, “We have formed a team under Sara-E-Amanat-Khan SHO Deepak Kumar to investigate the rape charges. The CCTV footage of Chheharta area will also be investigated.”
