The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab State Election Commission to send an audio clip, allegedly exposing a conspiracy by Patiala police officials to block opposition nominations during the zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections, for forensic analysis by an independent agency outside state control. The clip was shared by SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal ahead of the December 2023 polls.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the State Election Commission (SEC), Punjab, to send an allegedly incriminating audio clip—featuring a purported conversation between Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police Varun Sharma and other police officers—for forensic analysis by an agency independent of the state government.
A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjeev Berry passed the directions while disposing of two petitions filed by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa. The petitioners had demanded an independent probe into the audio clip, which surfaced ahead of the December 14, 2023, zila parishad and panchayat samiti elections in Punjab.
The clip, shared by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on social media in December last year, allegedly captures Patiala police officials conspiring to prevent opposition candidates from filing nomination papers, purportedly at the behest of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Parambir Singh, appearing for petitioner Cheema, stated after Wednesday’s hearing that the court directed the SEC to ensure that the clip is sent for forensic examination to a body “not under the control of the state of Punjab.” Senior advocate A P S Deol, representing Bajwa, added that the court permitted submission either to such an agency or to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh.
Importantly, the bench also noted that the SEC had previously ignored the court’s earlier direction to refer the audio for independent verification.
The Punjab Police had earlier dismissed the clip as either fake or artificially generated. However, during a previous hearing in January, the High Court had pulled up the SEC for inordinate delay in investigating the clip’s authenticity.
The SAD has welcomed the court’s latest direction. In a statement, the party said it would continue to pursue the case until those found guilty are brought to justice. “This is a victory for truth,” a spokesperson said.
The controversy over the clip has become a flashpoint in Punjab’s political discourse, with opposition parties accusing the AAP government of misusing official machinery to suppress rival nominations during the panchayat elections. The court’s directive now places the onus on the SEC to ensure a neutral and credible forensic evaluation.
