The Great Escape: AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra on the Run
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2025-09-03 11:22:15
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator. Author of Cyber Scams in India, Digital Arrest, The Money Trap and The Human Hack
View all posts by this Author
Punjab has seen political drama before, but nothing as brazen as this. Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, the AAP MLA from Sanaur, was under arrest in a case involving rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation. Instead of facing the charges, he allegedly opened fire on the police, tried to mow down a constable with an SUV, and then vanished in a Scorpio. A sitting legislator turning fugitive in this fashion is not just sensational - it's dangerous.
Lawmaker or Lawbreaker?
Reports suggest his supporters resisted the arrest, clashing with police and even firing shots. That does not look like a lone act of desperation but the work of a network confident enough to challenge the state's authority.
The timing only deepens the intrigue. Days before his arrest, Pathanmajra had criticised his party leadership for mishandling floods and claimed he was being silenced. Whether the charges are genuine or politically motivated is for the courts to decide. But one fact is undeniable: when the law came knocking, he chose to flee instead of fight his case in court. That decision strips him of credibility.
Parties Must Walk the Talk
AAP, which built its image on clean politics, is on the spot. Leaders insist they won't shield wrongdoers, yet the party has stopped short of suspending him. Inaction here would expose the same double standards that plague every party: shouting against corruption in opposition but turning mute when the accused sits in their own ranks.
The opposition is quick to mock, calling the episode a "comedy circus" and blaming AAP for a breakdown in law and order. But the rot runs deeper than one MLA or one party. Across the spectrum, too many politicians treat public office as immunity from accountability.
If Lawmakers Don't Respect Due Process, the Country's Future Is Bleak
This is bigger than one case. When lawmakers flout due process, they undermine the very idea of democracy. If the people who write the laws believe they are above them, what message does that send to the ordinary citizen? It signals that justice is selective and power trumps accountability.
That's why such bhagodas must face hard consequences:
1. Suspend them from the Assembly. A fugitive has no right to sit in a legislature.
2. Bar them from elections. Someone who runs from the law cannot be trusted to make it.
India's democracy suffers because we allow accused politicians to drag cases endlessly, cry political vendetta, and still contest elections. Accountability must be immediate and uncompromising.
The Road Ahead
Pathanmajra's escape is more than an embarrassment for Punjab Police - it is a test for our institutions. Will the system act with resolve, or will this scandal fade like so many others?
The answer matters. The health of our democracy is not measured by how we treat the powerful when they are in favour, but by how we hold them accountable when they cross the line. If Pathanmajra reappears months later, strikes a political deal, and resumes life as usual, public trust will take yet another hit.
India cannot afford lawmakers who behave like outlaws. If even fugitives can sit in the Assembly and decide our future, then the future itself is at risk.
