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Faridkot rape case
Jail term to Nishan a message to society, says court
Says no to leniency in quantum of sentence
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, May 27
Sentencing Nishan Singh to double life imprisonment in two rapes and kidnapping cases, the Faridkot District and Sessions Judge today relied heavily upon the “deterrent” theories of punishment suggested by various high courts and the Supreme Court.

While holding Nishan and his nine accomplices in the crime guilty of kidnapping, rape and criminal assault, the court said such convicts do not deserve leniency.

Keeping in view the tender age of the victim girl and the gravity of the offence which a habitual offender committed against her two times with in a gap of three months, there is a need to give a strong message to society that such heinous crimes would result in extreme punishment, said District and Session Judge Archana Puri in her 119-page order.

Such habitual offenders deserve to be isolated from society, said the judge while announcing the quantum of sentence today.

After the District and Session Judge pronounced the judgment, there was an extensive argument by defence counsels on the quantum of sentence to the accused.

Advocates of some of the convicted pleaded leniency in quantum of sentence keeping in view the young age of the convicts, but court did not sway with their plea. While Nishan Singh is 20-tear old, seven others convicted are below 30 years of age.

“For this (Nishan) habitual offender, there is no chance of reforms/improvements in him. He does not deserve any leniency. The social impact of the case is also required to be considered,” ruled the judge. All accused in this case are guilty of serious crimes and they deserve rigorous punishment for the severity of the crime impact on the victim and her family.

Tainted past

• Born January 31, 1993, Nishan Singh (pic) was already facing 18 criminal cases before June 25, 2012, when he kidnapped the minor girl
• He hopped on to the crime bandwagon on April 11, 2008, when he was just 15. Before turning 16, he was facing five criminal cases
• Thanks to the immunity he was getting under the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA), by the end of October 2010, when he was still a juvenile, he had already a dossier of 15 criminal cases against him. In seven of these cases, he was accused of using firearms
• Son of a late Air Force officer, Nishan continued his crime spree with the backing of local political leaders such as Maninderjeet Singh, alias Dimpy Samra, also convicted in the rape and kidnapping case on Monday
• Out of the 18 cases registered, Nishan was set free in 10 cases. He was time and again set free from the juvenile court as witnesses stepped back due to his influence and his closeness with politicians and at times the police not doing its bit
• There was only one case in which Nishan was convicted as a juvenile offender by the Juvenile Justice Board, Faridkot, in February 2011. He was awarded two-year community service as punishment, but before he completed his token punishment, he kidnaps and rapes a minor girl

Timeline

June 25, 2012: Nishan Singh kidnaps a 15-year-old minor girl

July 27: Girl escapes from Nishan’s clutches, reaches Faridkot, complains to the police. A case of kidnapping and rape is registered against Nishan

July 30: Nishan’s mother threatens girl’s family and asks them to withdraw the complaint or face dire consequences

Sept 23: Nishan is seen sitting in the VVIP gallery during the visit of Punjab Deputy CM on the final day of the annual Baba Farid Mela in Faridkot

Sept 24: Nishan along with three armed accomplices barge into girl’s house in the densely populated Dogar Basti area of Faridkot and kidnap her at gunpoint

Sept 27: Nishan takes the girl to Gurgaon by train from Chandigarh

Sept 28: Nishan leaves for Goa from Delhi. The Faridkot DIG claims that the girl had left with Nishan on her free will

Sept 30: Public protest against the police starts spilling on the roads.

Oct 6: Faridkot DIG Paramraj Singh Umranangal releases many wedding photographs and letters, claiming these were written by the girl

Oct 9: Police officers come under public attack for shielding the accused

Oct 11: In a face-saving exercise, the state government transfers Faridkot DIG and SSP

Oct 17: A police team is dispatched to Goa

Oct 21: Nishan Singh is arrested in Goa

Jan 16, 2013: Charges framed against Nishan, 19 others

Jan 17: Nishan makes threatening phone calls from jail to the witnesses and family members of the girl asking them not to depose against him

Feb 5: Day-to-day hearing begins in the case

May 27: Nishan sentenced to double life imprisonment