A city court in Gurugram on Friday sentenced 17 people, including nine women and a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor to rigorous imprisonment of seven to 10 years for attacking and pelting stones at an anti-encroachment team in 2015.
Besides the attack on the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) team on May 15, 2015, at Sector-47 Jhimar Basti, petrol bombs and LPG cylinders were also thrown at police teams, leaving a duty Magistrate and 15 police personnel injured.
The court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge Mona Singh on Thursday also slapped fines on 17 people, which included 10 women. While 10 of them have been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment, seven of them have been given 10 years in jail. The court has imposed Rs10,000 fine on all 10 women, including former AAP councillor Nisha Singh and Rs 20,000 on the others. In case of default of payment, their sentences will be increased by two to three years, it said in an order.
“No doubt it is a serious lapse on the part of the accused persons to injure the public officers, but there is no reason to believe that they cannot be reformed or rehabilitated and that they are likely to continue criminal acts of violence as would constitute a continuing threat to the society," the court said. There were 19 accused in the 2015 case. Ramesh and Ratanlal died during trial.The remaining 17 were convicted under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections related to rioting, using explosive substance and hurting public servants on duty. Seven of them were charged under the Explosives Act. Singh was also convicted under IPC Section 114 (abettor present when offence is committed).
The court said that the prosecution has successfully proved the allegations, except meeting the requirement of IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder), resulting in all the accused being acquitted from the offence punishable under this Section.
On May 15, 2015, Junior Engineer Rajpal and HUDA teams were getting debris removed after an anti-encroachment drive in Sector-47 Jhimar Basti. Advocate Khajan Singh, Pradeep Zaildar and Singh instigated a crowd to attack, according to the order.
