A Gurgaon court has granted regular bail to Pankaj Yadav in the case involving the alleged fabrication of forensic reports for a video of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, criticizing the police for invoking organized crime laws without basis.

  • Pankaj Yadav, proprietor of Cyber Yaan, granted regular bail by the Gurgaon court.
  • Court criticized the misuse of Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
  • All three arrested suspects in the forensic fabrication case are now out on bail.
  • Allegations against senior Punjab Police officers remain unprobed by Haryana Police.

A Gurgaon court on Monday granted regular bail to Pankaj Yadav, the third individual arrested in connection with the alleged fabrication of forensic reports regarding a controversial video featuring Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Yadav, who runs the 'Cyber Yaan' training center in Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, was accused of providing the lab infrastructure to create a report claiming the video was AI-generated.

The case stems from an FIR registered on June 23, following a complaint by Jaspreet Singh, a digital forensics worker. Singh alleged that he was coerced by two senior Punjab Police officers at a Gurgaon hotel and paid Rs 10 lakh to produce a tailored report stating that the video did not feature the Chief Minister and was a product of manipulation.

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Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows a concerning trend where law enforcement agencies utilize the stringent provisions of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to secure custodial interrogations without establishing a prima facie case. This 'fishing expedition' approach, as termed by the court, undermines the judicial principle of liberty and suggests a targeted attempt to shield high-ranking officials while penalizing subordinates.

"The state cannot use a suspect as custodial bait to bring a case into the fold of organized crime without legally admissible evidence."

Additional Sessions Judge Sudeep Goel took a stern view of the prosecution's strategy, specifically the invocation of Section 111 of the BNS (Organized Crime). The court observed that the State cannot arrest suspects simply to 'fish' for evidence or use them as bait to justify the application of stringent laws.

Despite the existence of CCTV footage, guest logs, and food bills allegedly linking a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and a Superintendent of Police (SP) to the conspiracy, the Gurgaon police have notably refrained from summoning these senior officers for questioning.

Prior to Yadav's bail, cyber experts Ankit and Arun Mahendru had also secured their release. The court noted that Yadav has clean antecedents and that the forgery charges cannot be substantiated until the official Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report is received.

Did You Know?: Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is a powerful tool designed to tackle syndicates and gangs, requiring a high threshold of evidence to prove a continuing unlawful activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Who is Pankaj Yadav and what was his role?
Pankaj Yadav is the owner of Cyber Yaan, a Delhi-based training center. He was accused of facilitating the creation of a fake forensic report to clear CM Bhagwant Mann's name in a video controversy.

Q2: Why did the court grant him bail?
The court found no prima facie evidence to justify the 'organized crime' charges and noted that the forensic analysis of seized devices was still pending, making the forgery charges premature.