The MLA has denied the allegations, calling the case politically motivated. In a Facebook Live video after the FIR was filed, he accused the AAP’s Delhi leadership of “illegitimately ruling Punjab” and targeting him for speaking out.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Harmeet Singh Dhillon Pathanmajra, who was arrested on charges of rape and cheating, escaped police custody on Tuesday after allegedly firing at officers in Karnal. Police said the MLA, who represents Sanour in Patiala, was being taken to a local police station when he and his aides opened fire, injuring one policeman. In the chaos, Pathanmajra allegedly ran a vehicle over another officer and then fled with his associates in a Scorpio SUV. A Fortuner used during the escape was later recovered, and police teams have been deployed to track him down.
Pathanmajra had been arrested after a woman from Zirakpur filed a complaint accusing him of lying about being divorced before starting a relationship with her. She said he married her in 2021 while still being married to someone else, sexually exploited her, sent obscene material, and threatened her. Based on her complaint, police charged him with rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation.
The MLA has denied the allegations, calling the case politically motivated. In a Facebook Live video after the FIR was filed, he accused the AAP’s Delhi leadership of “illegitimately ruling Punjab” and targeting him for speaking out. “They can file FIRs against me, they can keep me in jail, but they cannot silence me,” he said. His lawyer, Simranjeet Singh Saggu, also claimed that the woman admitted in court to being in a live-in relationship with Pathanmajra, calling the charges false and baseless.
According to the FIR filed at the Civil Lines police station in Patiala at 10:17 PM on Monday, Pathanmajra’s alleged ex-wife accused him of offences that took place between February 12, 2014, and June 12, 2024.
Based on her complaint, the MLA has been booked under Sections 376 (rape), 420 (cheating), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
This incident happened just hours after Pathanmajra openly criticised his own party’s government for its poor handling of flood relief efforts. He also accused a “Delhi lobby” of interfering in Punjab’s internal matters.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Patiala as authorities fear that Pathanmajra’s supporters might stage protests or hold a dharna in his support.
