In what came as an embarrassment to the Punjab police, AAP MLA Harmit Singh Pathanmajra, who has been on the run for the last two months after being booked in a rape case, is learnt to have fled to Australia.
Patiala police had issued a look-out notice against Pathanmajra, and the investigators had carried out multiple raids in his possible hideouts.
On Friday, the Sanaur legislator appeared in a video interview on an Australian-based Punjabi web channel, in which he claimed that he would return to India only after securing bail in the case.
"In Punjab, ministers and MLAs are not consulted on key matters. Freedom of speech is being curtailed. After losing in Delhi, those leaders have now taken over Punjab, and they are ruining it the same way," he said in the interview.
What is the case about?
A case against Pathanmajra was filed on September 1 after a Zirakpur-based woman alleged that the MLA misrepresented himself as divorced, entered into a relationship with her, and later married in 2021 while already being married.
She accused him of continued sexual exploitation, threats, and sending "obscene" material to her.
The MLA is facing charges of rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation.
A Patiala court initiated proclaimed offender proceedings against Pathanmajra after he failed to appear before it.
Meanwhile, based on specific inputs that the MLA was at his relative’s residence in Haryana’s Karnal, a team of Punjab police travelled to the neighbouring state. He, however, managed to escape after his supporters allegedly attacked the police team.
Ever since then, the legislator has been on the run.
‘Targeted for raising Punjab’s water issue’
On September 26, Pathanmajra released a video from an undisclosed location, accusing his party MLAs and farmer unions of not standing by him.
He claimed that he was being targeted for speaking out against Delhi-based AAP leaders and for holding an IAS officer responsible for the recent floods.
"My only fault is that I raised Punjab's water issue, and the state faced devastation in the recent floods," the MLA further said in the video.