Punjab: AAP candidate booked for false information in nomination papers

PATIALA: Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Sanour assembly segment has been booked under sections of IPC and People Representation Act for submitting false information in his affidavit during nominations by hiding information about the criminal cases registered against him in the past whereas he was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by the court.

The case has been registered against AAP candidate under sections 193, 199 of IPC and section 125-A of Representation of People Act at Julkan police station on the complaint of Sanour Returning Officer

Jasleen Kaur

Bhullar.

The Returning Officer in her report submitted to the higher authorities had claimed that the AAP candidate

Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra

filed nomination with affidavit that there is no criminal case pending against him in any court. She said now it has come to her knowledge that the candidate is booked under section 174 IPC in December 2019 and was declared Proclaimed Offender by the court of

ACJM Barnala

on October 28, 2020 but the police did not arrest him in-spite he was declared PO by the court. In her report the returning officer further added that according to law the PO cannot get any benefit till he revokes his PO, whereas at present

Harmeet Singh

is enjoying the safety of police personnel.

“Harmeet Singh has misled the Election Commission of India and the public. As per judgment of the Supreme Court his nomination is to be rejected on this ground only and by furnishing a wrong affidavit he has committed a fraud with the ECI, which is liable to be booked and prosecuted with relevant sections of IPC. It's necessary to take action as the candidate representing the constituency should be honest and trustworthy", said Sanour Returning Officer Jasleen Kaur.

She added, "I had requested the higher authorities to direct the police to arrest him as per the order of the court of ACJM Barnala. I have submitted the entire report to the authorities and the further decision or action can be taken by the higher authorities”.

Harmeet who has shown Rs 11.5 crore as immoveable assets and Rs 35 lakh as moveable assets including two luxury cars, had claimed in his affidavit before Returning Officer that no criminal case has been registered against him.

Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra said, "It was a case of financial liabilities in which the court has declared me and two others as PO but later I had already submitted in the court that I had cleared the dues to be paid on my part. I have been given bail till February 14. I am acquitted in all other cases registered against me in the past and a candidate needs to submit the information of pending cases only".

He added, "I joined AAP over a year ago and got party ticket. In 2017 assembly elections I had contested as Independent. The SAD (B) leaders now got registered a case against me as they are hallucinated following reports they're getting on my probable victory this time".

SAD (B) candidate and MLA HS Chandumajra said that since April 2000,

Harmeet Pathanmajra

has faced several criminal cases including of liquor smuggling, theft, fraud, murderous attack, etc. Chandumajra sought action against the AAP candidate for filing hiding his criminal cases and trying to show him as clean candidate.

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