‘Gunshots fired, cop hurt’ in Haryana as Punjab AAP MLA Harmit Singh Pathanmajra, booked for rape, flees from police

According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Civil Lines police station in Patiala at 10.17 pm on Monday by Pathanmajra’s alleged ex-wife, the alleged offence was committed from February 12, 2014, to June 12, 2024. The MLA has been booked under sections 376, 420 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code on charges of rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation.

While Pathanmajra’s aide said he was arrested in the morning in Dabri, his relatives’ village in Haryana’s Karnal, police sources claimed that the MLA escaped in a white SUV after the residents did not allow the police to arrest him. They said that gunshots were also fired during the commotion, and a police official was injured. According to police sources, the Punjab Police team is now in touch with the Haryana Police to get another case registered against Pathanmajra for firing at a policeman and injuring him.

Baltej Pannu, an AAP spokesperson, told the media that Pathanmajra had been detained by the Patiala police from Haryana. “However, he absconded from police custody. Some arms have been recovered from his vehicle,” Pannu said.

“As a spokesperson of the party, I want to tell you that a woman has complained against him. She said that she was in a relationship with the MLA in 2021. He married her in 2021 in a gurdwara. When he contested the 2022 Assembly election, he had mentioned this wedding in his affidavit. In the last week of August, she had stated that he was again trying to contact her. She threatened to complain to the police. Pathanmajra anticipated that he would face action. He started contacting the senior leadership of the party in Delhi. They did not give him any assurance because AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has zero tolerance for the three Cs (crime, corruption and character),” he added.

Pannu alleged that when Pathanmajra realised that the police would act against him, he began an “attention diversionary tactic by making the floods an issue”.

“His aides were putting out videos that action would be taken. The complainant stated that she was told that he had objectionable videos of her, and if she complained, he would make these viral. Under this complaint, the police have booked him for rape and intimidation,” Pannu said, adding that the party is yet to decide on what action should be taken against Pathanmajra.

‘Outcome of MLA’s outburst’

Meanwhile, Pathanmajra’s lawyer, advocate Simranjit Singh Saggu, said he was arrested unlawfully as the matter was pending before the high court, and that the inquiry had been handed over to the deputy inspector general of police for the Ropar range.

“This FIR is an outcome of the MLA’s outburst against the party. It is against the law, against the rules. It is basically a tug of war between bureaucracy and MLAs. The complainant had filed an application at Mohali police station. The victim said she was in a live-in relationship with Pathanmajra and was willing to continue with the same arrangement,” Saggu said.

“He was in Haryana. He was apprehended from Haryana. Now, the police will say whether he was arrested in Haryana or Patiala,” he added.

Pathanmajra had released a video on Tuesday morning, saying he had been booked for rape. “I will not take this lying down,” he is heard saying in the video, adding that the Punjab Police had come to arrest him in Haryana.

In an interview with a TV channel on Tuesday morning, Pathanmajra alleged that he had sexually explicit videos of AAP leaders from Delhi. “They have booked me for rape. I knew this was coming. I will not take this kindly. They will use excesses on me. I will go through the courts…A kabaddi game has now ensued between Delhi and Punjab,” he added.

Pathanmajra alleged that AAP had got at least five MLAs to sign resignation letters. “They are keeping these resignation letters safe. This is to pressurise the MLAs to toe their line. They have been doing this to the ministers from day one; that is why nobody dares to speak a word.”

Pathanmajra asked AAP MLAs and workers to gherao the Patiala senior superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday. “It is important to tell them that we will not be pressurised. The MLAs need to be together. I can be in jail for as long as they want. You will need to ask questions. Ask them if Delhiwallas will rule us. Other parties also have high commands. They do not come and rule here. If you can support me, I can do a coup,” he added.

Pathanmajra had sharply criticised Kumar on Sunday, saying he was responsible for the floods in the state. The MLA had said he would not seek permission to desilt the river next time. “We will do the silting on our own. We will widen it and deepen the bed of the Tangri River. If Krishan Kumar comes, then we will bury him in a ditch,” he added.

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