FIRs Filed Against AAP MP Sandeep Pathak After Joining BJP

Legal Troubles for Sandeep Pathak Following Party Switch

A few days after Sandeep Pathak, a Rajya Sabha MP, transitioned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two FIRs have been lodged against him in Punjab. The reasons behind these legal actions remain unclear, but government sources indicate that the FIRs have been filed under non-bailable sections. Amid reports of the FIRs being registered on Saturday, Pathak was seen leaving his residence in Delhi. When approached for comments, the Rajya Sabha MP was observed departing in his vehicle.

According to government sources, the Punjab police are actively pursuing the arrest of the accused due to the non-bailable nature of the charges. However, there has been no official confirmation from the police regarding the FIRs against the MP. When questioned about the situation, Sandeep Pathak stated that he was unaware of any FIRs filed against him.

Pathak is among seven Rajya Sabha MPs who recently defected from AAP to BJP. Other notable leaders who made the switch include Raghav Chadha, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta, Vikramjeet Sahni, Harbhajan Singh, and Ashok Mittal. With this significant shift, the number of AAP's Rajya Sabha seats in Punjab has plummeted from ten to three, delivering a substantial blow to the party just months ahead of the elections.

Sandeep Pathak has been closely associated with AAP's operations in Punjab and is credited with leading the party to a decisive victory against Congress in the 2022 assembly elections. The cases against him emerged shortly after actions were taken against another rebel AAP leader, Rajinder Gupta, following a raid by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) at the Dhaula unit of the Trident Group, of which Gupta is the founder.