Patiala: AAP MLA Gurdev Singh Dev Maan sparked a controversy on Monday after CCTV footage circulating on social media purportedly showed him chasing, cornering and kicking a teenage boy near PP School Road in Nabha before handing him over to police.The footage showed the MLA, accompanied by his armed police escort, pursuing a two-wheeler into a dead-end alley and intercepting the rider. Defending his actions, the MLA said they were in the public interest and part of his campaign against the drug mafia.Speaking at Rohti police post, he alleged that the youth was riding rashly without a helmet or registration plate and had narrowly avoided colliding with his official vehicle.The MLA said the rider sped away after the escort vehicle sounded its siren and threw a suspicious object from his pocket while being pursued through narrow alleys. He said police should probe whether the teenager consumed or sold drugs. He also alleged a wider conspiracy involving criminal elements and sought strict checks on unregistered two-wheelers.The teenager denied any involvement in the drug trade and said he fled because he was frightened by the convoy’s sirens. He said his motorcycle had broken down at a worksite the previous day and that he had borrowed his employer’s motorcycle. He acknowledged that it had no registration plate and that he did not have a driving licence.The Nabha Kotwali station house officer said he was initially unaware of the footage as he had been handling law and order at a protest site. “We have taken note of the matter and would examine the footage and allegations before taking appropriate legal action,” he said.The incident drew condemnation from the Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress. SAD functionary Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the assault followed a minor traffic confrontation and demanded legal action over what he described as “VIP syndrome”.Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and SAD’s Nabha halqa in-charge Makhan Singh Lalka also sought accountability.
