‘Guilty on 3 counts’: BJP leader BL Santhosh demands Punjab CM’s resignation over viral clip row

New Delhi, June 24 (IANS) BJP National General Secretary B.L. Santhosh on Wednesday demanded Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation over the controversial video row, citing the recent reports of Punjab officials allegedly forcing “fabricated” forensic reports of the clip.

“Sacrilege ..forge reports .. Use Police dept for covering up … Guilty on three counts …. AAP Govt in Punjab run by liquor scam experts from earlier Delhi administration doesn’t have anything to hide now. Only way left for CM Bhagwant Mann is to resign immediately,” Santhosh said in a post on X.

This came following the arrest of two men by Gurugram Police in connection with a complaint filed by a forensic expert, who claimed that senior Punjab Police officials had attempted to influence the preparation of a forensic report related to an “objectionable” video clip allegedly featuring Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

The controversy comes amid an ongoing political and religious debate in Punjab over the authenticity of the video clip, which CM Mann has consistently maintained is fake, manipulated, and part of an effort to malign his image.

The Chief Minister has also conveyed to the Akal Takht that the footage was fabricated and that the individual appearing in the video was not him but an actor.

The case, however, took a significant turn after Gurugram Police in Haryana arrested two individuals following a complaint lodged by forensic expert Jaspreet Singh. The complaint alleged that two senior Punjab Police officers had offered him Rs 10 lakh to secure a forensic report favourable to a particular conclusion regarding the video.

According to police, the arrested individuals, identified as Ankit and Arun, have been named in the FIR and are scheduled to be produced before a court. The FIR also mentions the alleged involvement of two Punjab government officials.

According to the complaint submitted to Gurugram Police, forensic expert Jaspreet Singh alleged that he had been approached regarding the preparation of a report related to the disputed video. One of the officials named in the allegations reportedly holds the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG), while the other is a Superintendent of Police (SP).

In his statement to investigators, Jaspreet claimed that he subsequently engaged two cyber experts — Ankit in Delhi and Arun in Panchkula — and that draft forensic reports were repeatedly modified under continuous WhatsApp supervision from a Punjab Police SP until they aligned with the expectations of the officials involved.

Police have registered a case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 111(2)(a) pertaining to organised crime, Section 318(2) related to cheating, and Sections 336 and 340 dealing with forgery of electronic records. Relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act have also been invoked.

The controversy has also drawn attention from the Sikh religious establishment. The Akal Takht, regarded as the highest temporal authority of the Sikh community, has declared the video clip to be authentic and described Mann as “Guru dokhi” (anti-Guru) and “panth virodhi” (anti-panth).

–IANS

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