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Court Seeks Details of His Properties
Patiala: A Patiala court on Saturday declared AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra a proclaimed offender after he failed to appear in connection with a rape case registered against him, and directed the police to submit details of his movable and immovable properties as part of further legal proceedings.
Confirming the development, DSP City-1 Satnam Singh said the police would comply with the court’s directions and intensify efforts to arrest the absconding legislator. “He continues to remain on the run. The court has declared him a proclaimed offender and proceedings will now be carried out strictly as per law,” the officer said.
The order follows the expiry of a 30-day period granted under a promulgation warrant issued in FIR No. 173 dated September 1, during which Pathanmajra failed to appear before the court or join the investigation. The court has now ordered initiation of separate proceedings under the CrPC and sought a detailed report on his assets.
The case against the MLA was registered on September 1 on the complaint of a woman from Zirakpur, invoking charges including rape, cheating and criminal intimidation. More than a month ago, a local court had initiated proclaimed offender proceedings after he repeatedly ignored police summons. A lookout notice has already been issued against him.
Despite a massive manhunt involving over 100 police personnel from multiple wings, including the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Pathanmajra has evaded arrest for over three and a half months. Police sources said he narrowly escaped arrest from a relative’s house in Karnal, amid alleged stone-pelting and firing, a claim denied by the MLA.
The Punjab government had handed over the operation to the AGTF on September 3, a day after his escape. However, multiple raids across locations have yielded no breakthrough so far. While unofficial sources suggest that Pathanmajra may be abroad, police have not confirmed this on record.
Even as he remains absconding, the AAP MLA has continued to post videos and statements on social media, accusing the police of attempting a “fake encounter” and asserting his innocence. “I have ample evidence that I will place before the public and the court,” he claimed recently from an undisclosed location.
With the court now formally declaring him a proclaimed offender, the legal noose around the absconding legislator is set to tighten, including possible attachment of property if he continues to evade arrest.
