A court in Patiala on Saturday declared Aam Aadmi Party MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra a proclaimed offender after he failed to appear in a rape case.
The court also directed that a notice be issued to the investigating officer for January 31, 2026, with instructions to place on record the list of properties belonging to Pathanmajra.
The police had registered the case against Pathanmajra, a first-time MLA, at the Civil Lines police station here on September 1 on the charges of rape, cheating and criminal intimidation based on a complaint by a Zirakpur-based woman.
He has been on the run since September 2. In November, Pathanmajra appeared in a video interview with an Australia-based web Punjabi channel in which he claimed that he would "return home only after securing bail."
Denying all allegations, he termed the case a "political conspiracy", aimed at silencing voices that speak for Punjab's people.
In its order, the court said that the 30-day period for a proclamation warrant had already expired and declared Pathanmajra a proclaimed person.
Pathanmajra had escaped on September 2 when the Punjab police went to arrest him in Dabri village in Haryana's Karnal district, where he was at the residence of one of his relatives.
The police had then claimed that gunshots were fired and stones were pelted by the legislator's supporters
However, Pathanmajra had denied the police claims of being involved in firing at cops and had said he fled after learning that he would be killed in a "fake encounter".
The Patiala court later initiated proclaimed offender proceedings against the Sanaur MLA after he failed to appear in connection with a rape case.
The local court had already rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
The MLA had remained elusive despite police conducting raids at his possible hideouts.
Patiala police had issued a look-out notice against the Aam Aadmi Party MLA.
The complainant 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.