Bhagwant Mann Video Row: FIR Says Punjab Police Officers Paid Rs 10 Lakh To Forge Forensic Report

The controversy surrounding an alleged sacrilege video involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has taken a new turn, with Gurgaon Police investigating claims that two senior Punjab Police officers paid Rs 10 lakh to obtain a forensic report declaring the footage fake and manipulated.

Gurgaon Police have arrested two men, Ankit and Arun, in connection with the case. Both have been named in the FIR and will be produced before a court.

The FIR also mentions two Punjab government officials, including a DIG-rank officer and an SP-rank officer.

Complaint by forensic expert
The case was registered following a complaint by forensic expert Jaspreet Singh, who alleged that he was asked to prepare a forged forensic report regarding the video clip.

Sources said Jaspreet told Gurgaon Police in a video-recorded statement that he fabricated the report under pressure and was unaware that it would later be used to challenge the Akal Takht Sahib’s position on the matter.

According to sources, Jaspreet, who is a Sikh, later submitted a written complaint supporting the sequence of events described in his statement.

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs, has declared the video authentic and described Mann as “Guru dokhi” and “panth virodhi”. Mann has maintained that the individual seen in the footage is not him but an actor allegedly used to defame him.

How the report was prepared
In his statement, Jaspreet claimed he engaged two cyber experts – Ankit from Delhi and Arun from Panchkula.

According to sources, draft reports were repeatedly edited under continuous WhatsApp supervision from the SP-rank officer until they matched the expectations of the two police officers.

Sources also detailed meetings allegedly held in Gurgaon on June 15 and June 16. They said the DIG-rank officer checked into a hotel in Gurugram at 9.40 pm on June 15. About an hour later, the SP-rank officer checked into another room at the same hotel.

Jaspreet later arrived carrying a bag and first met the SP-rank officer before both men went to the DIG-rank officer’s room for a discussion. He subsequently left and stayed overnight at a guest house in Sector 46.

Cash payment
Jaspreet returned to the hotel on the morning of June 16 and had breakfast with both officers. During the meeting, the DIG-rank officer allegedly instructed him to obtain two cyber laboratory reports from separate individuals or labs claiming that the video was AI-generated.

When Jaspreet reportedly warned that any such report would be “concocted”, the DIG allegedly assured him of substantial payment and tasked the SP with arranging the process.

Gurgaon Police found that Jaspreet was handed Rs 10 lakh in cash by security personnel attached to the DIG-rank officer while leaving the hotel.

The investigation further found that Jaspreet paid Rs 7.5 lakh as an instalment, deposited Rs 2.5 lakh into his personal bank account, transferred Rs 50,000 online to Ankit and had not yet paid Arun.

AAP calls video politically motivated
The allegations come amid continuing political controversy over the video. On June 8, the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that forensic examinations conducted by two independent laboratories found no match between Mann and the individual seen in the video.

Senior AAP leader and Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, along with AAP Punjab Media In-Charge Baltej Pannu, alleged that opposition leaders were attempting to inflame public sentiment through a fake video as part of a political conspiracy to defame the Chief Minister.

Following the release of the recording, AAP also argued that Mann had never claimed the video was generated using artificial intelligence. Party spokesperson Baltej Singh Pannu said the Chief Minister had consistently maintained that the video was fake and that the recording itself showed he had never described it as AI-generated.