In a major development, a special CBI Court on Monday sentenced 4 former Punjab Police officers to five years of imprisonment and also slapped them with a Rs 2 lakh fine to each convicted officer. The case is infamously called Moga Sex Scandal and it dates back to 2007. The convicted include former SSP Davinder Singh Garcha, former SP Headquarters Moga Parminder Singh Sandhu, former SHO of Moga City Police Station Ram Kumar, and City Police Station Inspector Amarjit Singh.
Inspector Ram Kumar received an additional three-year sentence under a separate section, along with a Rs 1 lakh fine. After the court’s verdict, complainant Ranjit Singh expressed satisfaction, calling the decision a "great judgment." It is worth noting that on March 29, the court convicted all four accused, while it acquitted Akali leader Tota Singh’s son Barjinder Singh Brar and Suraj Singh due to lack of evidence.
What was Moga Sex Scandal 2007?
As per reports, the case surfaced in 2007 when the Akali-BJP coalition was in power in Punjab. A girl from a village under Moga City police jurisdiction accused several men of gangrape. A case was registered under Section 164 of the CrPC, and she recorded her statement. Around 50 unidentified individuals were accused of sexual exploitation. Thereafter, police officers investigating the case allegedly began blackmailing businessmen and politicians by including their names in the case.
Hence, Ranjit Singh, a resident of the same village as the victim, lodged a complaint alleging that SSP Amarjit Singh demanded Rs 50 lakh to avoid being named in the case. After receiving threats and failing to pay the bribe, Ranjit filed a formal complaint. Amarjit Singh was later arrested on charges of rape and other offenses.
On November 12, 2007, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo moto cognizance and demanded reports from the police. After reviewing the matter, the High Court transferred the case to the CBI for thorough investigation. In December 2007, the CBI registered a new FIR based on the High Court's order. The investigation revealed that Davinder Singh Garcha, Parminder Singh Sandhu, Amarjit Singh, and Ram Kumar conspired to extort money by fabricating the case. They allegedly registered false FIRs against businessmen and others, threatening arrest if bribes were not paid.