Probe Agency Summons Ludhiana Top Cop In Case Linked To Bhagwant Mann Viral Video

The Enforcement Directorate, or ED, has summoned senior Punjab IPS officer and Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma to appear at its Chandigarh office on October 19 in connection with an alleged fake forensic report controversy involving a viral video linked to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, according to sources.

The case stems from an FIR registered by Gurugram Police, which arrested two men, Arun Mehandru and Ankit, for allegedly fabricating forensic and cyber analysis reports claiming that the controversial video of Mann was AI-generated.

The central probe agency has now reportedly entered the case, with Sharma and other individuals summoned for questioning. The agency is expected to examine the alleged fabrication of the forensic report and the roles of those who may have been involved. The precise scope of the ED's investigation, however, remains to be officially established.

The viral video allegedly showed liquor being splashed on photographs of Sikh Gurus, triggering a controversy over its contents and authenticity.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia raised the issue on social media, alleging that the controversy involved sacrilege, false claims and fabricated forensic evidence. He also accused Mann of misleading Sri Akal Takht Sahib over the matter.

Majithia said the ED's reported intervention had brought the alleged fabrication of the forensic report under scrutiny and claimed that the investigation would examine those involved in the case.

However, the allegations regarding the report's fabrication and the individuals' respective roles remain subject to investigation. The reported summons do not, by themselves, establish wrongdoing by any person named in connection with the case.

Further details are awaited regarding the ED's specific line of inquiry and the allegations, if any, against the individuals summoned.