On April 20 this year, the Punjab police wrote to Twitter, seeking personal details of a political analyst and activist Ramnik Singh Mann for uploading a leaked conversation between Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita Kejriwal and her friend on the micro-blogging platform.
Ramnik Singh Mann has been vocal against Khalistani terror in Punjab and the nexus that ails the state. He has regularly reiterated that Khalistan is a failed Pakistani project and hardly any Sikhs in Punjab support it.
The Nurpur Bedi police station, located in the Rupnagar district of Punjab, had issued a notice to Twitter under Section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
“It is submitted that the FIR no. 35, dated 16/04/2022 U/S 171F, 465, 469, 471, 120B IPC and 66 of IT act have been registered in PS Nurpur Bedi, Punjab(India) regarding the circulation of fabricated audio conversation by impersonating voice,” the notice read.
It further added, “So, kindly assist us with the following details related to the aforementioned account on the priority basis for further investigation in this aforesaid case: 1) Kindly provide us the complete IP logs details and mobile no. of the above mentioned Twitter ID from dated 01/02/2022 to 20/04/2022.”
The Punjab police also directed the micro-blogging platform to comply with the notice and send a compliance report in this regard.
The Background of the controversy
Earlier on February 20 this year, political analyst Ramnik Singh Mann had uploaded a leaked conversation between Sunita Kejriwal and her friend wherein she could be heard claiming that AAP leader Raghav Chadha had bought a bungalow in Chandigarh.
“Raghav ji is taking care of the PR. He has now bought a kothi (bungalow) in Section 8 of Chandigarh. You know that the environment there is great. Let’s wait. The election results are due on March 10, 2022,” Sunita Kejriwal was heard as saying.
While posting the audio clip, Mann inquired, “Raghav Chadha, how much money did you collect? Bought a Kothi (Bungalow) in Sector 8, Chandigarh? I have been working hard for 24 years, couldn’t buy a Kothi in Chandigarh. #Corruption”
Viral Audio…!!@ArvindKejriwal @raghav_chadha how much money did you collect?
— Ramnik Singh Mann ?? (@ramnikmann) February 20, 2022
Bought a Kothi (Bungalow) in Sector 8, Chandigarh?
I have been working hard for 24 years, couldn’t buy a Kothi in Chandigarh. #Corruption pic.twitter.com/I0QlCEOIxk
Soon after, the Nurpur Bedi police station registered a First Information Report against him for allegedly circulating a ‘fabricated’ audio clip.
Ramnik Singh Mann reacts to the development
The matter came to light when scientist Anand Ranganathan posted about it on the micro-blogging platform.
“After TajinderBagga it is now the turn of Ramnik Mann. Acting on an FIR he says is purely to intimidate him, the Punjab Police is demanding a two-month log from Twitter. ArvindKejriwal is going to make sure everyone who tweets against him is put in Jail. I Stand with Ramnik,” he had tweeted.
आ सितमगर हुनर आज़माएँ,
— Ramnik Singh Mann ?? (@ramnikmann) May 9, 2022
तू तीर आज़मा, हम जिगर आज़माएँ। https://t.co/d1suDqHRVP
While reacting to the development, Ramnik Singh Mann had tweeted, “Come, oh tyrant, lets test our skills. You put your arrows to test, I will test my courage.”
Intimidation of BJP leader Tajinder Bagga
In a high voltage drama on May 6, Tajinder Bagga was arrested by Punjab Police from his home without due process, which led to a case of kidnapping against Punjab Police.
Bagga immediately through his counsel moved to the Dwarka Court. His plea mentioned that he was being taken by some unknown persons. The Delhi Police, therefore, swung into action after the Court ordered his production. The Delhi Police informed the Haryana Police who stopped the Punjab police from taking Bagga to Punjab.
Earlier, Punjab Police had registered an FIR against Tajinder Bagga for his criticism of Arvind Kejriwal after the Delhi CM mocked ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie during the budget session of the Delhi assembly calling it a jhoothi film. The film depicts the sufferings of the Kashmiri Hindus during the genocide they suffered in Kashmir in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
