Chandigarh, Feb 4 (PTI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday directed the State Election Commission, Punjab, to send an audio clip, purportedly of a conversation between the Patiala SSP and other police officers, for forensic examination to an independent agency which is not under the state’s control.
The directions by a bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjeev Berry came on pleas filed by Akali leader Daljit Singh Cheema and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa.
The audio clip was shared by Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on social media in December last year, claiming that Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma and other officers had conspired to prevent opposition candidates from filing nomination for the December 14 zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls at the behest of the ruling AAP.
Speaking to the media after the hearing on Wednesday, Parambir Singh, the counsel for Akali leader Cheema said that the court, while disposing of the two petitions, directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to forward the audio clip to an independent agency for forensic examination.
Senior advocate A P S Deol, the counsel for Bajwa, said the court stated that for a fair examination of the audio clip, it should be sent to an agency, which is not under the control of the state of Punjab, or the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh.
He further said the court also noted that its earlier observation of forwarding the audio clip to an independent agency was ignored.
The pleas, which were filed ahead of the December 14 zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls last year by the petitioners, had demanded an independent probe into the matter.
During the previous hearing last month, the high court had rapped the SEC for the delay in the completion of the probe into the audio clip.
The Punjab Police earlier called the audio clip fake or AI-generated.
Meanwhile, SAD welcomed the court order and said that the party will pursue the matter till its logical end to ensure punishment to guilty officials.
Opposition parties have accused the ruling AAP of misusing official machinery to prevent their candidates from filing their nomination papers. PTI CHS VSD KVK KVK
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