The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Punjab government on a petition filed by Simranjit Kaur, wife of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator from Sanaur, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who is facing serious criminal charges. The plea seeks protection for the life and liberty of the MLA and his family.
Pathanmajra has been absconding since September 2 after fleeing from a relative’s residence in Karnal when a Punjab Police team arrived to arrest him. The Patiala police had earlier registered an FIR against him at the Civil Lines police station on September 1, acting on a complaint filed by a Zirakpur-based woman. The FIR invokes charges of rape, cheating, and criminal intimidation.
In her petition, Kaur expressed apprehension that her husband could be eliminated in a “fake encounter” by the Punjab Police under political pressure. She requested the court to direct authorities to provide protection to the family and furnish a detailed report of all cases registered against the MLA so that he can seek appropriate legal remedies.
The petition further alleged that the criminal case was politically motivated, claiming that Pathanmajra was targeted after he publicly accused senior irrigation department officials of misleading the state government over water release and permissions for de-silting riverbeds. According to the plea, the ruling AAP leadership was displeased with his statements, leading to the immediate withdrawal of his and his family’s security cover and the registration of the FIR.
Hearing the plea, Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya directed the Punjab government to file its response by September 23. The petitioner was represented by advocate Sant Pal Singh Sidhu.
The matter is expected to come up for further hearing after the state submits its reply.
