Two Arrested in Bhagwant Mann Video Probe Were Govt Contract Employees, Labs Fictitious: Police

Gurgaon, [Date]: Two men arrested in connection with the investigation into forensic reports linked to a controversial video allegedly featuring Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann were contract employees with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a Haryana government programme, according to the Gurgaon police. The police also stated that the laboratories these men claimed to represent do not exist in official records.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Ankit and Arun. Ankit had been working with the NIA in New Delhi for nearly five years, while Arun was employed with the Haryana government's Parivar Pehchan Patra programme in Panchkula for a similar duration. The Gurgaon police’s investigation revealed that neither of the two laboratories—Cipher Sentinel lab (purportedly registered in Jind) and Cyberyaan Training and Consultancy (claiming an address in Delhi)—had any recognition or accreditation from any government department as a forensic examination or analysis laboratory.

Ankit had issued a nine-page forensic report in the name of Cipher Sentinel lab, and Arun released a 13-page report in the name of Cyberyaan. Both reports claimed that the person seen in the video was not Bhagwant Mann, a claim the Chief Minister and his party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), have strongly endorsed. However, the authenticity of the videos remains unverified, and the Akal Takht, a key Sikh religious body, has stated that the person in the video is indeed Mann.

The arrests followed a complaint by a forensic expert who alleged that two senior Punjab Police officers paid him ₹10 lakh to secure a favourable forensic opinion on the video. The Gurgaon police are continuing their investigation into these allegations, including the role of the Punjab Police officers.

In their reports, both individuals listed extensive qualifications and certifications in digital forensics and cybersecurity, but the police have found no evidence that they are employed by any recognized forensic laboratory. The case highlights concerns about the authenticity of forensic evidence in a politically sensitive matter.

The Chief Minister and the AAP have consistently denied the authenticity of the video, calling it manipulated. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are awaited.