By Dhruvi Shah
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member from Sanour in Punjab, managed to escape police custody during rape charges. Pathanmajra is alleged to have shot at police officers and was injured in the process when struck by an SUV while being brought to a local police station in Karnal, Haryana.
Pathanmajra was booked on Monday evening after a woman from Zirakpur filed a complaint against him. In her complaint, the woman complained about Pathanmajra, who she said claimed he was divorced, misleading her into a relationship that began in 2021 after she believed he was divorced when in fact he was still married. She accused the MLA of sexual exploitation, harassment, threats and sending lewd pictures.
Pathanmajra said his troubles started after he called out the Punjab government for how they handled the floods affecting Patiala, accusing seniors, including a senior IAS officer, of disregarding my requests to desilt the rivers, which compounded the flooding across villages. He said that after he did this, his security was discontinued, and local police officers were transferred for this action, separating them from their families.
In a Facebook Live session prior to his arrest, Pathanmajra was not shy to publicly blame the Punjab government as well as put the “illegitimate rule” of the Delhi-based AAP leadership over Punjab under a spotlight. He rallied his party MLAs to support him, saying, “They can file FIRs against me; I can be in jail, but they will never suppress my voice.”
Punjab authorities are pushing hard to recapture AAP MLA, who escaped police custody with the alleged assistance of his supporters and residents. Another FIR will be opened against him for the suspected assault and injury to his police officer on duty. The matter is drawn into controversy; in addition, he has claimed through his lawyer the charges levied against him are politically contrived.