Punjab ministers Cheema, Aman Arora booked over Bajwa’s ‘doctored’ video

The Cyber Crime Cell of Chandigarh Police on Friday registered a case against Punjab cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora on charges of defamation and criminal conspiracy for allegedly circulating a doctored video of Punjab leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa

The Cyber Crime Cell of Chandigarh Police on Friday registered a case against Punjab cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora on charges of defamation and criminal conspiracy for allegedly circulating a doctored video of Punjab leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.

The Cyber Crime Cell of Chandigarh Police on Friday registered a case against Punjab cabinet ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Aman Arora on charges of defamation and criminal conspiracy for allegedly circulating a doctored video of Punjab leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.

Bajwa, in his complaint, alleged that his original video of 3.48 minutes was edited and doctored in such a way by the ministers that it showed his support for arrested SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 336 (4) (forgery), 356 (criminal defamation) and 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The FIR also mentions an unidentified media handler of the Aam Admi Party (AAP) and the admins of AAP Punjab’s social media accounts on X and Facebook as the accused.

Bajwa’s complaint further states that the two ministers circulated a doctored video to malign his image and misrepresent his political stance.

“I frequently raise my voice against the illegalities and excesses committed by the AAP-led Punjab government. AAP leaders and media associates conspired to circulate a doctored video,” he said.

Reacting to the arrest of Bikram Singh Majithia by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, Bajwa had questioned officers conduct after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader’s wife MLA Ganieve Kaur had alleged that the VB sleuths ‘unlawfully’ entered her private residence.

Bajwa had called the alleged conduct by the officers “an unacceptable and illegal intrusion” into a woman’s legislator’s private space.

In his complaint, Bajwa stated that he had posted a video on June 25, on his official X handle criticising the vigilance bureau’s treatment of MLA Kaur, and drew parallels with a similar case involving Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira.

Bajwa alleged that the AAP’s Punjab social media team, however, edited the video to remove references to Kaur and even removed her status as a legislator. The altered video falsely portrayed that he was defending Majithia, an accused in the case, he said.

Bajwa said the video was widely circulated by senior AAP leaders. He named finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema and minister for new and renewable energy sources, housing and urban development Aman Arora, alleging that they shared the edited clip via their official Facebook accounts and the party’s social media pages. Bajwa said the video was intentionally propagated to damage his reputation and that of the Congress party.

“I was defamed, maligned, and falsely shown as supporting individuals under prosecution, supporting violators of law whereas my actual concern was pertaining to the manner of arrest and conduct of Punjab Vigilance Bureau was concealed and edited,” Bajwa said in his statement to the cyber cell of the UT police.”

Reacting to FIR, finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said Bajwa has registered a ‘false’ case.

“The people have come to see the true character of the Congress party. Bajwa being hand-in-glove with the BJP had got a cybercrime FIR registered against the AAP in Chandigarh. We are not scared of FIRs. We welcome this FIR. This has only exposed their links,” Cheema claimed.