The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday directed the Punjab government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to send a controversial audio clip, allegedly featuring Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma and other police officers, to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh, for forensic examination.
The purported audio, circulated on social media by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, is alleged to capture conversations indicating a conspiracy to obstruct opposition candidates from filing nominations for the December 14 zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections.
During the hearing, counsel for the SEC informed the bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjeev Berry that SSP Varun Sharma has proceeded on leave until the completion of the local body election process. The additional charge of Patiala has been assigned to the Sangrur SSP.
The bench, hearing a PIL filed by SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, sought details of the investigation into the clip and questioned both the SEC and the state police on the progress of the probe. Police have reportedly issued notices to six individuals seeking the original recording.
Cheema approached the court seeking urgent judicial safeguards to ensure a free and fair election, while Bajwa requested an extension of the December 4 nomination deadline, alleging that opposition candidates were facing intimidation and systematic obstruction.
After the hearing, Bajwa’s counsel Arshpreet Singh Khadial told reporters they insisted that the verification of the clip be conducted outside Punjab to avoid any conflict of interest. He said they urged the court to order a time-bound forensic examination at CFSL, Chandigarh.
Cheema’s counsel, Arshdeep Singh Kler, said the court orally indicated that the audio would be sent to CFSL Chandigarh, though a detailed written order is awaited. He also countered the Punjab Police’s stance that the clip might be fake or AI-generated, arguing that no such conclusion can be drawn without forensic testing.
Opposition parties have accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of misusing official machinery to prevent their candidates from filing nominations. The audio clip controversy has sharpened the political confrontation in the run-up to the rural local body elections.
Polling for Punjab’s zila parishad and panchayat samitis is set for December 14, with counting scheduled for December 17.
