Mohali, Dec. 6 -- A Mohali court has sentenced a constable to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.50,000 on him for raping a woman who was on the run in a snatching case, and for helping her avoid arrest instead of bringing her to the police station. Satbir, 37, posted at the Sunny Enclave police post, was not on duty on March 7, 2023, when the chain-snatching incident took place near Green Market, Sunny Enclave. According to the FIR and subsequent investigation, the woman and her associates had allegedly snatched a gold chain using a toy pistol. One of the snatchers was caught by residents, while both women fled. Police records show that Satbir encountered the two fleeing women near KFC, Kharar. Instead of informing the police station or detaining them, he drove them away in his Maruti Suzuki Zen, promising to help them avoid arrest. Investigators later confirmed this sequence through closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage that captured the vehicle and the movement of the accused. Officials said Satbir first dropped one of the women near a bus stand. She eventually reached Sunny Enclave, where police arrested her. Satbir then took the second woman to a hotel in Chandigarh. According to the victim's statement, he raped her inside a room before letting her leave. She was arrested later that evening, and during her interrogation, she disclosed the assault and the manner in which the constable assisted their escape. Satbir was initially booked under Sections 212 (harbouring an offender), 217 (disobeying direction of law), and 166A (public servant failing to perform duty) of the Indian Penal Code. Following the disclosure of the woman, investigators added Section 376(2)(b) (raping a woman in public servant's custody) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Satbir was arrested soon after. The prosecution relied on surveillance footage, vehicle movement logs, and the survivor's repeated, consistent statements during the investigation and trial to establish that Satbir misused his position to shield the accused women and then assaulted one of them. Officers confirmed that Satbir had faced departmental action in the past on unrelated matters, including a suspension order. Sadar Kharar station house officer Shivdeep Singh reacted to the conviction stating, "The rule of law prevails." While pronouncing the quantum of sentence, the court held that the Satbir used his uniform to shelter offenders and committed a sexual assault while he was expected to assist in their lawful arrest....