Chandigarh: The spat over footage of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann allegedly committing blasphemy escalated sharply on Tuesday after Gurugram police registered an FIR on suspicion {that a} forensic report submitted by the chief minister to show his innocence was obtained beneath strain and for a pre-arranged function.
One of the critical allegations within the Gurugram police assertion considerations monetary inducements. Based on a police assertion, the complainant claimed that round Rs 1 million in money was supplied to facilitate the preparation of the report and funds have been made by different channels to different individuals allegedly concerned within the train.
Gurugram police mentioned in an announcement late on Tuesday that two individuals have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to acquire “faux forensic and cyber evaluation studies” in reference to the controversial video.
“I’ll proceed the great work that I’ve been doing for Punjab and nobody can cease me…The Bharatiya Janata Social gathering authorities has launched a full-scale assault on the Forensic Science Laboratory, which is the place we realized the reality in regards to the video,” Mann mentioned.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini informed mediapersons throughout a go to to a gurdwara temple in Patiala that it was “unlucky” that such a report was obtained to cowl up his errors (Punjab CM).
Police on Tuesday described the case as a “extremely delicate and delicate matter involving an alleged conspiracy to acquire a forensic report geared toward denying the identification of the particular person showing within the viral video and portraying the allegations related therewith as false.”
The event comes days after Mr Mann contradicted the Akal Takht’s findings, claiming {that a} report obtained by the federal government after analyzing the video from “1,191 angles” proved that Mr Mann was not the particular person seen within the footage.
The controversy started earlier this 12 months when a video surfaced on social media exhibiting Mann committing blasphemy, together with sprinkling alcohol on a photograph of a Sikh guru.
The apex Sikh physique, the Akal Takht, summoned the prime minister in January. Mann claimed that the video was faux and was generated utilizing synthetic intelligence. Later, Akal Takht introduced that forensic checks from two Indian government-recognized laboratories discovered no proof of tampering or AI manipulation. Based mostly on these findings, Akal Takht on June 15 declared Mann an “anti-Guru” and “anti-Khalsa Panth”.
Days later, Mann issued a video assertion claiming that new checks carried out on behalf of the Punjab authorities revealed that the particular person seen within the footage was not him.
Based on Gurugram police, a particular investigation staff beneath the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) arrested two suspects in Gurugram quickly after registering an FIR.
The arrested individuals have been recognized as Arun Mehandle, a resident of Agarsain colony in Sirsa and Ankit, a resident of Karak Ghagar village in Jind district, each aged 25 years.
Police mentioned the 2 have been being questioned relating to the creation of pretend forensic and cyber studies, the credibility of the companies that issued the studies, monetary transactions associated to the train and the identities of different individuals allegedly concerned within the conspiracy.
Digital gadgets, paperwork and different bodily proof may also be topic to scientific testing, a police assertion mentioned.
Additionally learn: Akal Takht declared Bhagwant Mann an ‘anti-guru’ and what does it imply for AAP, the one state it guidelines?
FIR allegation
The FIR was registered on the idea of a criticism by Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Sirsa, who works in digital forensics, cyber investigation and digital proof evaluation.
Police mentioned Jaspreet contacted Mehandle, who ran a forensic science laboratory in Panchkula, for a report. Mr. Mehandle additional contacted Ankit and requested a second report back to complement the primary one.
Based on the FIR, which went viral on social media, the complainant claimed that he was contacted by an individual claiming to be a senior authorities official of Punjab and requested him to rearrange a forensic report associated to the viral video in help of a prison investigation. predetermined Conclusion.
He claimed he was informed a report was wanted in reference to a controversial video involving the Punjab chief minister, which had been the topic of widespread dialogue on social media and in public.
The complainant additionally denied that the particular person within the video was the Prime Minister and claimed that he had been requested to advertise an investigation discovering that every one allegations arising from the video have been false.
Based on the FIR, he repeatedly informed officers that the out there materials was inadequate to achieve a closing forensic verdict.
“I’ve clearly said that the out there materials isn’t appropriate to achieve a closing forensic or scientific conclusion as as to whether the video is AI-generated, altered or manipulated,” the complainant mentioned within the FIR. “Regardless of my reservations, continued strain was positioned on me to submit a report confirming the predetermined conclusions.”
Plaintiffs additional argue that their function was to not get hold of an unbiased scientific opinion. “The purpose was to not search an unbiased scientific opinion, however to acquire a report with predetermined conclusions.”
The FIR additional added, “The report was being ready and revised with steady steering and recommendations relating to its contents.”
The criticism says the difficulty was handled as a problem with broader implications, relatively than as a routine technical train. “This was not a problem that involved bizarre residents. The difficulty had already acquired political, social and non secular significance, and there have been makes an attempt to acquire a report that mentioned: predetermined The FIR quotes the complainant and says that repeated amendments have been made to the report back to convey it to the specified conclusion.
Jaspreet additionally informed police that he was not conscious that the 2 laboratories from which he obtained the report have been acknowledged by the federal government.
political arguments acquire momentum
The arrest has given new political which means to the suspicions which have been circulating in Punjab’s political circles for the previous few days.
On June 16, senior Akali chief Bikram Singh Majithia claimed in X that senior Punjab Police officers have been tasked with acquiring studies from numerous laboratories to show that the particular person seen within the video was not Bhagwant Mann.
Two days later, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal, at a press convention in Chandigarh, recognized the officer as Ludhiana police chief Swapan Sharma and claimed that efforts have been underway to safe a report contradicting the Akal Takht’s findings.
ThePrint reached out to Sharma by way of telephone and WhatsApp messages for remark. This report shall be up to date if a response is obtained.
Badal additionally questioned why the prime minister’s place had modified from initially claiming the footage was generated by AI to later claiming that the particular person within the footage was not him.
On Monday, Congress chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira informed X that the report obtained by the chief minister was fabricated and the Gurugram police have been on the verge of being busted.
On Tuesday, Mr. Kaira and Mr. Majithia every individually launched movies, screenshots and different paperwork exhibiting the assembly between complainant Jaspreet and Punjab police officers at a resort in Gurugram to arrange the report, which led to the registration of the FIR.
Majithia additionally printed what he claimed was a WhatsApp dialog between Jaspreet and an alleged senior police official in Punjab, suggesting that the officer had prompt adjustments to the report’s wording earlier than it was finalized.
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SP Jashan Gill Cyber Crime (whatsapp chat)
… pic.twitter.com/BSt9p6On8K— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) June 23, 2026
On Wednesday, Majithia launched a video assertion of Jaspreet Singh, through which he narrated the sequence of occasions that occurred in entrance of the cameras, as said within the criticism filed with the Gurugram police.
Jaspreet, who filed the faux report, obtained loss of life threats from the Punjab Police. Hear Jaspreet’s phrases on how authorities officers have been met on this case….@punjabpoliceind @dgppunjabpolice @AAPPunjab @BhagwantMann@ArvindKejriwal @ptcnews @abpsanjha @News18Punjab @ZeePunjabHH @dailyajitnews… pic.twitter.com/F9iuOrzzQe
— Bikram Singh Majithia (@bsmajithia) June 23, 2026
In her video message, Majithia additionally revealed particulars of the expenditure allegedly made by the Punjab Police to acquire the report. He additionally posted the invoice of the resort the place the Punjab police personnel have been staying in Gurugram as sure financial institution paperwork.
The controversy intensified on Wednesday with opposition events demanding the CM’s resignation. Talking at a press convention in Delhi, Bharatiya Janata Social gathering minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa known as for Mann’s arrest on suspicion of aiding and abetting in acquiring false studies.
Congress leaders held a press convention in Chandigarh, Punjab, demanding the chief minister’s resignation over the difficulty. MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa mentioned all Sikhs and all individuals who imagine in Guru Nanak ought to unite to make sure that the Chief Minister is arrested by the police and resigns.
That is an up to date model of the report.
(Edited by Katyal Sugita)
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