Moga, April 7: A CBI court on Monday sentenced former Moga SSP Devinder Singh Garcha and SP (Headquarters) Paramdip Singh Sandhu to five years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh each, in the 2007 Moga sex scandal case.
Inspector Amarjit Singh received six-and-a-half years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 2.5 lakh fine, while Sub-Inspector Raman Kumar was sentenced to eight years in prison and fined Rs 3 lakh. Kumar was also convicted of extortion, while Amarjit was held guilty of attempting extortion.
The court acquitted Barjinder Singh, alias Makhan—son of a former SAD minister—and Sukhraj Singh on March 29.
The scandal, which erupted in 2007, involved senior police officials and politicians allegedly trapping wealthy youths in a flesh trade case and then extorting them. Garcha and Sandhu, who later served as AIGs before retiring, were found guilty of accepting bribes to drop names from the women’s statements. Amarjit Singh and Raman Kumar were dismissed from service.
A minor girl, initially pardoned and made an approver, turned hostile during trial, while another key witness, Manjit Kaur, died mid-proceedings.
Citing political interference and the involvement of top police brass, the High Court had transferred the case to the CBI in December 2007. Charges were framed in 2012 under multiple IPC sections and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
