AAP leader accused of rape bid held in Moonak

SANGRUR: AAP leader Hardeep Singh who was booked for attempt to rape a dalit girl in a village near Moonak subdivision of this district was arrested today.
Addressing a well-attended press conference the SSP Pritpal Singh Thind said "The Moonak police has acted in a professional manner and in three days of the crime arrested the accused."
He said that the accused was trying to board a bus from village Dhindsa near Moonak when one of the police parties which were pressed into the investigation arrested him early morning.
DSP Moonak Akashdeep Singh Aulakh said that Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate had sent him to police remand for two days. The police would question him about the charges leveled by the 15-year old dalit girl.
The SSP said that Hardeep was chief of a unit of AAP and had connections with high- ups of the party. He was seen photographed with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, senior leader Sanjay Singh and MP Bhagwant Mann.
A spokesman of AAP disclosed that the party was inquiring into the matter and a decision would be taken about his continuation with AAP.
The victim had alleged that she along with her younger sister went to the photo studio of Hardeep Singh to get herself photographed. In the dark room the accused attempted to disrobe her. Her shrieks were heard by the younger sister who was waiting outside the dark room. She raised an alarm and many villagers collected there and tried to open the door of the dark room which was bolted from inside.
Realising that a crowd had collected in the shop, Hardeep Singh opened the door and escaped.
The victim had also got her statement recorded before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) under section 164 of the criminal procedure code. The statement given before a judge could not be retracted and was considered to be substantial evidence.
Aulakh told TOI over the phone that for the last three days, volunteers of AAP were in touch with the police promising to produce the accused but had failed to do so.