Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, representing Sanour in Patiala, dramatically escaped police custody on Tuesday during an arrest attempt in a rape case, allegedly firing gunshots and injuring a policeman by running him over with an SUV. The incident, which unfolded in Dabri village, Karnal, Haryana, has sparked a massive manhunt, with Punjab and Haryana police coordinating to apprehend the fugitive lawmaker.
The case stems from a First Information Report (FIR) filed on Monday night at Patiala’s Civil Lines police station, based on a complaint by a Zirakpur-based woman. She alleges Pathanmajra misrepresented himself as divorced, entered into a relationship, and married her in 2021 while still legally married to another woman. The FIR, registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation, also accuses him of ongoing sexual exploitation, threats, and sending obscene material.
Pathanmajra, 47, has vehemently denied the charges, calling them “politically motivated” and accusing AAP’s Delhi leadership of targeting him for dissent. In a fiery Facebook Live video before his escape, he claimed the party’s central command is “illegitimately ruling Punjab” and suppressing local leaders. “They can file FIRs, throw me in jail, but my voice won’t be silenced,” he declared, urging fellow AAP MLAs to resist Delhi’s interference.
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The escape occurred when a joint team of Patiala and Karnal police attempted to arrest Pathanmajra at a relative’s residence in Dabri village. Aided by supporters and locals, he allegedly fled in a white Scorpio SUV, with gunshots fired during the chaos, injuring one officer. A Fortuner used in the escape was later recovered, but Pathanmajra remains at large. His lawyer, Simranjeet Singh Saggu, called the arrest “unlawful,” citing a prior Punjab and Haryana High Court inquiry into the matter and alleging the FIR reflects internal AAP power struggles.
The incident follows Pathanmajra’s public criticism of the AAP government’s handling of Punjab’s flood crisis, particularly targeting Principal Secretary (Water Resources) Krishan Kumar for failing to desilt rivers like the Tangri, which has inundated his constituency. On Sunday, he accused bureaucrats of ignoring his repeated pleas in the Punjab Assembly and warned that public anger could “thrash” the government. On Monday, AAP abruptly withdrew his security detail of 12 personnel and transferred all station house officers in Sanour, moves Pathanmajra claimed were retaliatory.
The controversy has deepened fissures within AAP’s Punjab unit, with Pathanmajra’s escape fueling allegations of a vendetta by the party’s Delhi leadership. Supporters have rallied in Patiala, staging protests outside the Senior Superintendent of Police’s office, as Pathanmajra called for mass demonstrations with “tractors, trolleys, and cars.” Political analysts see this as a flashpoint in AAP’s internal dynamics, with at least three other Punjab MLAs previously facing disciplinary action for dissent.
As the manhunt intensifies, the case raises questions about governance, party unity, and the use of legal mechanisms to silence critics. Punjab Police, led by SSP Varun Sharma, have deployed multiple teams to track Pathanmajra, vowing to bring him to justice. Meanwhile, his defiance and dramatic escape have thrust Punjab’s political landscape into the national spotlight, with the public awaiting the outcome of this high-stakes saga.
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