Gurugram police probe alleged fabricated forensic report in Bhagwant Mann video case, Punjab officials may be questioned

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Gurugram, June 25

Gurugram Police have secured CCTV footage and hotel records indicating that two Punjab Police officials visited a hotel in the city in connection with an investigation into an alleged fabricated forensic report linked to a controversial video involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Officials said on Thursday that the officers may soon be summoned for questioning and could face legal action if evidence establishes their involvement.

The investigation comes amid a political controversy over an alleged objectionable video, which led the Akal Takht to issue an edict against Mann on June 15. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj had claimed that two forensic laboratories had found the video to be authentic.

Chief Minister Mann has dismissed the allegations, describing the video as an attempt to malign his image. The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party has also maintained that forensic examinations conducted by two laboratories concluded that the person seen in the video was not the Chief Minister.

According to police officials, CCTV footage and entries from a hotel register have confirmed the presence of the two Punjab Police personnel at a Gurugram hotel where investigators suspect efforts may have been made to arrange a forensic report with predetermined findings.

A senior police officer said investigators are examining whether the visit was linked to a larger conspiracy.

“These two officers from Punjab will soon be formally summoned to join the investigation. We want to determine the purpose of their visit and whether they have any connection with the accused already arrested in the case,” the officer said.

He added that a decision on whether the officers would be named as co-accused would depend on their statements and the evidence collected during the investigation.

Police have also shifted the complainant, Jaspreet alias Jassi of Haryana’s Sirsa district, to a secure location where senior officials are recording his statements.

In his complaint, Jaspreet alleged that he was pressured, threatened, and coerced into preparing forensic reports that carried a predetermined conclusion: that the video had been generated using artificial intelligence and that the person appearing in it was not Bhagwant Mann.

Jaspreet, who is associated with digital forensics, cyber investigation, and electronic evidence analysis, stated that the video material provided to him lacked the quality and source reliability required to produce a credible forensic opinion.

Meanwhile, a Gurugram court has remanded the two accused, Arun Mehandru and Ankit, to police custody for eight days. Both were arrested on June 23.

Investigators said they will use the custody period to identify officials who were in contact with the accused and establish where and how the disputed forensic report was prepared. Police are also examining the source of the printouts, laboratory email accounts, stamps used on the documents, and the possible involvement of additional individuals.

Officials said the investigation remains underway and further action will be based on evidence gathered through questioning, document verification, and forensic examination.