Rape accused ex-Minister fails to surrender in court, as promised

Chandigarh: Punjab's former Akali Minister Sucha Singh Langah on Saturday failed to surrender in a court, as promised a day earlier after the registration of a rape case against him.

Langah -- who was booked on Friday on charges of rape, criminal intimidation, and cheating on the complaint of a woman working with Punjab Police -- has remained underground ever since, police sources said.

Police officials in Gurdaspur said they had no information on his surrender plans. They pointed out that courts were closed on Saturday due to Dussehra holiday.

Langah was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Gurdaspur City police station after the woman, a widow, complained he had been raping her since 2009.

Langah, who was a Shiromani Akali Dal core committee member, on Friday announced his resignation from all party posts and from the membership of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as well.

"I have full faith in the judiciary. Therefore, I am submitting to the process of law by surrendering in the court tomorrow (Saturday). I have firm belief that truth will come out and justice will be done to me," he said on Friday.

SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal, who accepted Langah's resignation from all party posts immediately, had said Langah had done so (resigned) to "submit himself to the process of law".

Langah termed the case "political vendetta" and "premeditated", just before the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat bypoll on October 11.