Image credit: Bhagwant Mann by X

In June 2026, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann finds himself at the center of an unprecedented political and religious storm. A viral video, allegedly showing him disrespecting portraits of Sikh Gurus with liquor, led the Akal Takht to declare him a Guru Dokhi (betrayer of the Guru). While the Chief Minister’s camp produced forensic reports claiming the person in the video is an AI-generated fake, an observation shared by many viewers who note stark physical differences, Gurugram Police recently arrested two men, alleging those defensive forensic reports were completely fabricated. Here is a breakdown of the visual analysis, the conflicting forensic claims, and the ongoing investigation.
When a highly controversial video surfaced earlier this year, it sent shockwaves through Punjab. The footage appeared to show a man resembling Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann holding a glass of liquor, with droplets splashing onto the sacred images of Sikh Gurus.
In a state where religious sentiments are deeply tied to political identity, the backlash was instant. However, as the video circulated online, a massive debate erupted over its authenticity. Many viewers and eventually cyber experts began pointing out that the man in the footage did not actually look or move exactly like the Chief Minister.

Why Viewers and Experts Were Skeptical

When the video first went viral, the Chief Minister vehemently denied the allegations, calling it “false propaganda” and an AI-generated deepfake created by his political rivals. To back this up, his camp released forensic analyses reportedly conducted by two entities: “Cipher Sentinel Lab” and “Cyber Yaan Lab.”
According to the defense, these labs analyzed 1,191 individual frames of the video and found massive physical inconsistencies:
  •  Facial Structure: 
The jawline and facial proportions of the man in the video allegedly did not match the Chief Minister’s biometric profile.
  • Height and Build: 
The analysis claimed that the man in the video was approximately two inches taller than Bhagwant Mann and had a different physical build.
  • AI Artifacts: 
The defense argued that the footage contained glitches typical of deepfake technology, where a face is digitally mapped onto another person’s body.
For many everyday viewers watching the clip on their phones, these arguments made sense. The unnatural movements and slight physical differences led a large section of the public to conclude that it was indeed a manipulated video designed to ruin Mann’s image.

Akal Takht’s Decree

Despite the visual discrepancies pointed out by the defense, the Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of Sikhs) launched its own investigation.
On January 5, 2026, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj summoned Mann to explain the incident. In recently released audio/video of that meeting, Mann repeatedly stated, “That is absolutely fake,” and both sides agreed to get the video scientifically tested.
However, in late May and June 2026, the Akal Takht announced that their independent forensic investigations concluded the video was genuine and not AI-generated. Consequently, the Akal Takht issued a historic religious edict, declaring Bhagwant Mann a Guru Dokhi (betrayer of the Guru) and an opponent of the Khalsa Panth.

Allegations of “Fake Labs”

Just as the AAP leadership, including figures like Finance Minister Harpal Cheema and Aman Arora doubled down on their 1,191-frame forensic defense, the case took a dramatic and criminal turn in neighboring Haryana.
On June 23, 2026, the Gurugram Police (under a BJP-led government) arrested two men: Ankit (25) and Arun Mehandru (25). The police made a stunning allegation: the forensic reports used to clear the Chief Minister’s name were completely forged, and the labs that issued them (“Cipher Sentinel Lab” and “Cyber Yaan Lab”) do not physically exist or hold any government registration.
The arrests were based on a detailed police complaint filed by Jaspreet Jassi, an independent digital forensics professional from Sirsa. According to the FIR:
Jassi alleged that individuals claiming to be senior Punjab government officials approached him and offered a bribe of ₹10 lakh to create a forensic report with a “predetermined conclusion” specifically, to declare the video an AI deepfake. Jassi claims he refused the bribe, telling them that the video’s quality, nature, and source were too degraded to provide a definitive, legally reliable forensic opinion.
After Jassi refused and was allegedly threatened, the police claim the officials hired Ankit and Arun (who both worked as contractual government employees in different departments) to type up fake reports using the names of non-existent cyber labs.
The Gurugram Police have invoked serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and forgery, as well as sections of the Information Technology Act for tampering with electronic records.

Political War

Today, the truth of the video is buried under a mountain of political warfare.
The opposition parties in Punjab, the BJP, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are aggressively demanding Mann’s resignation. BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh stated that Mann is “intoxicated with power” and used forged documents to challenge the authority of the Akal Takht.
Conversely, the AAP leadership claims this is a massive, coordinated conspiracy by the BJP-ruled Haryana government to frame their Chief Minister. AAP’s Aman Arora pointed out a logical flaw in the police’s theory: “Had there been any intention to secure a favourable forensic report, it could have been done through any laboratory in Punjab, where law and order is under our government.” They maintain that the Haryana Police are simply intimidating cyber experts to change their statements and defame the Punjab government.

Conclusion

As it stands, the public is caught between their own eyes and a tangled web of criminal investigations. While the physical discrepancies in the video (like the height and facial structure) make it easy to believe it is a deepfake, the revelation that the defensive forensic reports may have been typed up by non-existent labs has severely complicated the Chief Minister’s defense. Until an independent, court-monitored central agency analyzes the original source file of the video, the line between truth and political sabotage remains completely blurred.