The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Ekta Sahota sentenced former Ludhiana MLA from the Atam Nagar constituency, Simarjit Singh Bains, to one year of imprisonment in an eight-year-old defamation case.The court pronounced the sentence after convicting Bains under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was filed by former Punjab Cabinet Minister and veteran Congress leader Brahm Mohindra.Advocate Gurpreet Singh Bhasin, representing Mohindra, said the court had sentenced Bains to one year of rigorous imprisonment in the defamation case. A fine was also imposed on the convict, in accordance with the court’s order.In the event of non-payment of the fine, Bains will have to undergo an additional month of rigorous imprisonment. He was briefly taken into custody and later released after furnishing a bail bond.Before pronouncing the sentence, the court heard arguments from Bains and his counsel.Seeking leniency, Bains submitted that he had been facing the trial for a long time and was the sole breadwinner of his family. He also assured the court that he would not commit such an offence in the future.On the other hand, counsel for the complainant described the offence as serious and sought a stringent sentence for Bains.After hearing both sides and considering the facts of the case, the nature of the offence, the convict’s age and past record, the prolonged duration of the trial, and his family responsibilities, the court sentenced him to one year of rigorous imprisonment.Case dates back to 2018The case dates back to 2018, when Bains levelled allegations against the then Punjab Health Minister, Brahm Mohindra, over the purchase of medicines and their supply to de-addiction centres. The allegations triggered a controversy at the time.Mohindra subsequently filed a complaint against Bains in connection with the matter. Legal proceedings were initiated following the complaint, and the case eventually came before the court.