to Procure Fake Forensic Report; Complaint Filed Over Evidence Presented to Akal Takht
Report By Y-Trendz
Chandigarh | June 24, 2026
The controversy surrounding Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and a viral video that triggered a major religious and political crisis deepened significantly this week, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
and Opposition parties levelled serious allegations that the AAP government misused state machinery to procure a fabricated forensic report — one that Mann subsequently presented to bolster his claims before the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikh authority.The row, which has been simmering since October 2025, has now exploded into one of the most politically charged controversies in Punjab in recent memory, raising questions of governance, religious sentiment, and the integrity of official evidence.
The Viral Video That Started It All
The controversy traces its origins to October 2025, when a Canada-based NRI, Jagmandeep Singh alias Jagman Samra, uploaded a video online purportedly showing Mann holding a glass containing alcohol. The footage allegedly depicted liquid splashing near portraits associated with Sikh Gurus and other Sikh personalities, leading to objections from religious and political groups that termed it an insult to Sikh sentiments.
Mann reiterated that the clip being circulated on social media was "completely fake" and allegedly generated using artificial intelligence. The Chief Minister maintained that in the age of advanced technology, fabricated videos could be created for any individual and insisted that a scientific and forensic examination was necessary to establish the truth.
Akal Takht Issues Stern Edict
The matter escalated rapidly when the Akal Takht summoned Mann to explain himself. The Akal Takht on June 15 declared Mann a Guru Dokhi and Khalsa Panth Virodhi after officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj presided over a meeting of the five Singh Sahiban in Amritsar. The clergy's order cited the controversial video that allegedly showed Mann sprinkling alcohol on a portrait of the 10 Gurus and an image of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Crucially, Mann had told the Singh Sahiban in January that the video was AI-generated, but the Akal Takht said it got the footage examined by two government-authorised labs after he failed to produce his own forensic report. The Akal Takht Jathedar, while pronouncing the edict, claimed the video was found to be "authentic" — neither tampered with nor AI-generated. Mann rejected the edict and denied being the man in the video.
CM Cites Two Forensic Reports in His Defence
Days after the Akal Takht's damning declaration, the AAP government went on the offensive. In a statement, Mann claimed that a frame-by-frame technical analysis by two independent forensic laboratories outside the state had confirmed that the individual in the video did not resemble him. He said not a single one of the 1,191 frames examined by the labs matched his profile, including face, height or physique.
"The reports clearly establish that someone used an actor to create this fake video with the intention of passing it off as Bhagwant Mann," the CM said.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema claimed that the reports established that the videos were created by impersonating Mann with the alleged intent to malign his image. Without disclosing the identity of the laboratories, the minister said both institutions, located outside Punjab, had debunked the SAD's allegations through a frame-by-frame technical analysis of the videos.
The Bombshell: Allegations of a Fabricated Report
It is at this point that the controversy took a dramatic turn. Senior Congress leader and MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira alleged that police investigators in Gurugram had questioned individuals associated with the laboratories that prepared the disputed report. He further claimed that the individuals concerned had allegedly admitted to preparing a false report in exchange for money, and that investigators had reportedly recovered communications between laboratory operators and a Punjab Police official linked to the procurement of the report.
Khaira alleged that the controversy extends beyond the issue of a disputed forensic report and raises concerns about the alleged manipulation of evidence in a matter connected with the religious sentiments of the Sikh community. He argued that if these allegations are substantiated, the case could represent one of the most serious instances of misuse of official machinery in recent years.
The BJP echoed these allegations, filing a formal complaint and demanding that the Akal Takht take cognisance of what they described as a deliberate attempt to mislead the highest Sikh religious authority using state resources and fabricated scientific evidence.
Gurugram Police Deny Raids
However, in a significant development, Gurugram Police rejected claims that a city-based forensic laboratory operator had been raided, arrested or detained for allegedly fabricating a report. "No such raids or arrests have been conducted. If anything of this sort happened, it would be Punjab Police who would do it," Gurugram Police spokesperson Inspector Sandeep told The Tribune.
Khaira had claimed that Gurugram Police arrested the operator of a laboratory that had prepared a "fake report" declaring the video genuine, and alleged that the accused had confessed on camera to being paid to manufacture false findings. He further claimed that police recovered WhatsApp chats between the accused and a Punjab Police officer allegedly involved in orchestrating the report. The denial by Gurugram Police has cast doubt on these specific claims, though the broader political controversy rages on.
Calls for Resignation and Independent Probe
Khaira demanded a thorough probe into the alleged role of the Punjab government, concerned police officials, and the laboratory operators involved in the case. He maintained that any government found to have relied on a fabricated report to protect public officials would face serious questions regarding accountability and transparency.
He reiterated his demand that Bhagwant Mann step down and face an independent inquiry, describing the allegations as a matter of public trust and governance, stating that any attempt to manipulate evidence in a case linked to religious sentiments would amount to a serious breach of faith with the people and institutions of the state.
AAP Hits Back at SAD-BJP
The ruling AAP government dismissed the allegations as politically motivated. Finance Minister Cheema alleged that the SAD was targeting Mann for bringing in the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar Act, and claimed that all major incidents of sacrilege in Punjab had taken place during the SAD-BJP regime.
As the political battle intensifies, the matter now squarely rests before the Akal Takht — whose authority over the Sikh community transcends all political affiliations. Whether the highest Sikh temporal seat will take cognisance of the BJP's fresh complaint over the forensic report is a development Punjab is watching very closely.
Sources: The Tribune, The Statesman, ANI — June 18–24, 2026
Note: All allegations are as claimed by the respective political parties and have not been independently verified. Gurugram Police have denied key claims. The AAP government has disputed all charges.
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