New Delhi, June 24: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of being involved in a significant conspiracy to tamper with forensic evidence related to a controversial video. This claim emerged following the arrest of two individuals by Gurugram police on Wednesday.
The arrests were made based on a complaint from a forensic expert, who alleged that senior officials from the Punjab police attempted to influence the preparation of a forensic report concerning an ‘objectionable’ video clip featuring Mann.
This controversy has intensified amid ongoing political and religious debates in Punjab regarding the authenticity of the video, which Mann has consistently labeled as fake, manipulated, and part of a smear campaign against him.
Mann informed the Akal Takht that the footage was fabricated and that the person depicted in the video was not him but an actor.
The case took a pivotal turn when Gurugram police arrested two individuals, identified as Ankit and Arun, following the complaint from forensic expert Jaspreet Singh. Singh alleged that two senior Punjab police officials offered him 1 million rupees to prepare a forensic report favoring a specific outcome related to the video.
According to police reports, Ankit and Arun, who have been named in the case, are set to be presented in court. The FIR also mentions the alleged involvement of two Punjab government officials.
BJP leader R.P. Singh claimed that these arrests have exposed a state-sponsored attempt to fabricate evidence and influence the outcome of a sensitive case.
In a post on the social media platform X, Singh stated, “The attempt to cover up the Bhagwant Mann video case has failed. The Gurugram police’s crime branch has registered a major criminal case, revealing alleged manipulation of forensic evidence and a state-sponsored conspiracy to protect Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from political and religious damage. The FIR has hit like a ‘bomb.’”
Singh further asserted that this matter has escalated beyond a mere political dispute and has become the subject of a serious criminal investigation.
According to the complaint filed with Gurugram police, forensic expert Jaspreet Singh alleged that he was approached regarding the report preparation linked to the controversial video. Among the named officials in the allegations, one reportedly holds the position of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), while the other is a Superintendent of Police (SP).
In his statement to investigators, Jaspreet claimed that he subsequently sought assistance from two cyber experts, Ankit in Delhi and Arun in Panchkula, and that the forensic report draft underwent multiple alterations under the continuous WhatsApp surveillance of a Punjab police SP to align with the expectations of the involved officials. The police have registered the case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
R.P. Singh also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating, “Just a few days ago, AAP leadership cited an alleged ‘independent lab report’ to exonerate Bhagwant Mann and challenged the official statement from Akal Takht Sahib, which deemed the video authentic.”
He added that today, the ‘independent lab’ has been exposed as a fraudulent setup operated by individuals working for a criminal syndicate. He remarked, “Using fake science and state-sponsored intimidation to mislead the community and the public is a severe blow to Mann’s government. Resignation is now the only option left.”
This controversy has also drawn the attention of Sikh religious institutions. The Akal Takht, considered the highest religious authority of the Sikh community, has declared the video clip authentic and labeled Bhagwant Mann as a “Guru-Drohi” (enemy of the Guru).
However, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has categorically denied these claims, asserting that the person in the video is not him. He has repeatedly stated that the footage was tampered with and that an actor was used to defame him.
Gurugram police are conducting an investigation, focusing on the allegations related to the preparation of the forensic report.
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