Punjab News Express
GURDASPUR: The registration of rape case against former minister and senior SAD leader Sucha Singh Langah has created political embarrassment for the SAD-BJP alliance in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bye-election being held on October 11 particularly when the alliance candidate Swarn Salaria faced similar allegations and later absolved in rape case.
Swarna Salaria is a Mumbai based Businessman who runs an airlince and security agency for VIP customers including film stars. He was accused by a former airhostess in his compamy for raping her for twenty years. Salaria had denied the allegations and claimed case was dismissed by the court.
The Aam Aadmi Party has highlighted the rape case agaisnt Salaria during election campaigning. Sukhpal Singh Singh Khaira state convener of AAP said “Salaria may have silenced the aggrieved woman with his money power but the case has brought out a villainous character of the BJP candidate".
The rape case against Langah came as another jolt to SAD-BJP alliance which was defeated in the January 2017 assembly elections and could win only 18 seats in the 117 member Vidhan Sabha. The Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bye-election is crucial for SAD-BJP alliance to restore its lost glory.
Langah who remained PWS minister in the Parkash Singh Badal Government was accused of rape by a police constable. She aleged that Langah forced her to have physical relations in lieu of government job in place of her husband also a police constable who died during duty. She has videographed the dirty act of Langah and gave the tape to police.
Langah is considered close confident of former Deputy CM and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. He had defended Langah when he was sentenced to three years imprisonment in a case of disproportionate assets case. However, due to Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bye-election, in a face saving exercise Sukhbir Badal told Langah to resign from all party posts and also from SGPC of which Langah is member from Dhariwal. The SAD yesterday evening issued a statement purported to written by Langah in which he claimed his innocence and resigned from all party posts. Minutes lates party issued a statement that SAD president has accepted the resignation of Langah from all posts. Langah was Poltical Advisory Committee and National Executive body of the party. He remained member of SGPC, the religious body of Sikhs for 21 years.
AAP MP Bhagwant Mann said that Langah also had links with drug mafia and terrorists. He alleged that Salwinder Singh dismissed SP of Punjab Police who allegedly assisted Pakistan terrorists involved in Pathankot terro attack stayed at the residence of Langah a night before he was seen on the international border. Salwinder Singh had told police that he went to meet certain drug smugglers and was not aware that they were terrorists.