AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra Arrested in Rape and Criminal Intimidation Case
Chandigarh – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, representing the Sanaur constituency in Punjab, has been arrested by Punjab Police in connection with a case involving rape and criminal intimidation. This marks the sixth instance of an AAP MLA being arrested by Punjab Police or vigilance authorities during the tenure of the Bhagwant Mann government.1
Pathanmajra and three accomplices were apprehended in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday night after being on the run since September 2, 2025, when he was declared a proclaimed offender.1 The arrest follows a complaint filed by a woman alleging misrepresentation regarding his marital status, sexual exploitation, coercion, and the sending of obscene material.1
Recent Arrest of Former Cabinet Minister
The arrest of Pathanmajra comes just two days after Laljit Singh Bhullar, a former cabinet minister and AAP MLA from Patti, was arrested in Mandi Gobindgarh. Bhullar’s arrest was linked to the suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, an Amritsar warehouse district manager, who accused the minister and two others of harassment in a suicide note.1
Government Response
Baltej Pannu, AAP general secretary and chief spokesperson, stated that Pathanmajra’s arrest demonstrates the state government’s commitment to the rule of law. He emphasized that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has made it clear that the law applies equally to all citizens, regardless of their position.1
Previous AAP MLA Arrests
Over the past few years, several other AAP legislators in Punjab have faced arrest by state agencies:
- Vijay Singla: Arrested in May 2022, then health minister and Mansa MLA, on corruption charges.
- Amit Rattan Kotfatta: Arrested in February 2023, Bathinda Rural MLA, in a corruption case.
- Raman Arora: Arrested in May 2025, Jalandhar Central MLA, in a corruption case involving a municipal corporation official.
- Manjinder Singh Lalpura: Arrested in September 2025, Khadoor Sahib MLA, following a conviction in a 12-year-old case involving molestation, and assault.
Background on Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra was elected as the MLA for the Sanour Assembly constituency in the 2022 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, defeating Shiromani Akali Dal’s Harinder Pal Singh Chandumajra by a margin of 49,122 votes.1 He is a member of the Aam Aadmi Party and is related to the wife of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.1 He has served as a member of the Committee on Estimates and the Committee on Government Assurances (2022-2023).1