Rape-accused AAP MLA Pathanmajra evades arrest by Punjab cops in Karnal

High drama prevailed in Karnal’s Dabri village on Tuesday as AAP MLA from Sanaur Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra evaded arrest by the Punjab Police in a case of rape and cheating lodged against him in Patiala on Monday on the complaint of a Zirakpur-based woman.

The police claimed Pathanmajra’s supporters and villagers allegedly fired gunshots and pelted them with stones, which allowed the MLA to escape. The action against Pathanmajra came days after he publicly criticised his own party’s government over its “mishandling of the flood relief efforts”. He also accused a “Delhi lobby of interfering in Punjab’s internal affairs”.

Pathanmajra was learnt to be at the residence of his relative Gurnam Singh, alias Laadi, a member of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), when the Patiala police team, including two SHOs and a CIA in-charge, came looking for him at 4.45 am.

The police claimed they took the MLA into custody, but he managed to escape in the melee that erupted following the alleged firing and stone-pelting. The police recovered three weapons and an SUV.

Laadi’s family members and villagers, however, denied any firing and stone-pelting took place. They maintained the police personnel “stayed at the house till 8 am, had breakfast and even held discussions with Pathanmajra”. “Laadi is a respected man of the region and the MLA was sleeping at his house when the police team arrived,” said a resident. In the evening, the Punjab Police retracted the firing allegation, saying “it only appeared as if someone had fired into the air, and that the villagers disrupted the operation, allowing the MLA to escape”.

Karnal SP Ganga Ram Punia said they were informed about the raid only after the matter escalated. Punia said an FIR had been registered against the MLA, Gurnam Singh and others under Sections 121,132, 221, (causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharging duty), 263 (resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension of another person) and 304 (snatching) of the BNS. He said further action would be taken as per law.

Earlier in the day, Pathanmajra went live on social media alleging the case against him was politically motivated. “They cannot silence me by filing cases. The ‘Delhi lobby’ will try everything to suppress dissent,” he said.

On Monday, the AAP government abruptly withdrew the MLA’s security cover and ordered the transfer of all SHOs and police post heads in Sanaur constituency. Pathanmajra had recently alleged that senior officials in the Irrigation Department, under the direction of the state government, had blocked desilting operations in riverbeds, which had “worsened the flood crisis”.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Baltej Pannu said Pathanmajra “was arrested, but he escaped from custody after his supporters “fired at the police”. Addressing the media in Chandigarh, Pannu alleged that the MLA ran over a policeman while fleeing from Dabri. “The woman with whom the MLA was in a relationship had complained to the police about being called by him on August 25 to resolve all issues. She alleged she was again sexually exploited and later threatened by the MLA, saying he would leak her private photos and videos,” he said.

Pannu alleged the complaint was lodged on August 26 and the MLA was aware that he would be booked. “When AAP refused to back him, the MLA started speaking against his own party’s government,” he said.