In a late-night operation, Punjab Police arrested wanted AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra in a rape case from Gwalior on Tuesday, 24th March, after he had been on the run for nearly six months. He was produced before a local court on Thursday, 26th March, and has been sent to a four-day police remand.
Fugitive Punjab MLA Harmeet Pathanmajra arrested
— The Tribune (@thetribunechd) March 25, 2026
The accused, who was declared a proclaimed offender by the court, was nabbed in connection with serious charges including rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation@japs99 reports https://t.co/Gm2V0hPOjO
A team from Patiala police brought him back and took him to the Crime Investigating Agency office. Later, he was presented in court under heavy security.
“We need to know his exact whereabouts ever since his escape and the reasons that brought him back to India in case he had earlier escaped abroad,” a senior police official said.
Patiala, Punjab: SSP Varun Sharma says, "Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra had a rape case registered against him last year. In that case, he was declared a proclaimed offender (absconder) by the court in December. There were inputs that he had fled the country via the 'donkey route'… pic.twitter.com/WWAsqBRhjP
— IANS (@ians_india) March 25, 2026
Police are now trying to understand where the MLA had been hiding all these months. Sources within the department claim that he had first fled to Australia and later moved to Dubai.
At the same time, Pathanmajra had been openly critical of AAP’s central leadership in his recent public statements and social media posts, which has added a political angle to the case.
Background of the case
The case against Pathanmajra dates back to September 2025, when an FIR was registered against him on serious charges, including rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation, based on a complaint filed by a woman from Zirakpur. After failing to appear before authorities, he was declared a proclaimed offender, and a lookout notice was issued.
Police had tried to arrest him earlier, but he managed to escape from a relative’s house in Karnal just moments before officers reached the location. While police claimed that he fired at them during the escape, Pathanmajra denied this, saying he had “only hoodwinked the Patiala cops” and that “no shots were fired.”
Soon after his disappearance, the Punjab government assigned the case to the Anti-Gangster Task Force, but he continued to evade arrest. During this period, he remained active online, posting videos and giving interviews in which he accused a “Delhi lobby” of targeting him.
He had also appealed to fellow MLAs and ministers to speak up, claiming that there were “attempts by external forces to destabilise the state.” Despite multiple raids and efforts by the police, he managed to stay out of reach until his arrest this week.
