Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's helicopter row: 10 booked for spreading rumours claiming 'misuse'
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had allegedly undertaken a negative agenda regarding the use of the Chief Minister’s helicopter when he was away for a long time on tour to Japan and South Korea
Those who indulged in spreading rumours and misleading information about the alleged misuse of Chief Minister’s helicopter when he was away in Japan and South Korea in the first week of December 2025 may have to face the music as the Cyber Cell of the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate has registered an FIR against them.
Though an FIR under sections 353 (1), 353 (2), 61 (2) of BNS was registered at Cyber Cell Police on the statement of SHO Satbir Singh on December 12, the action has not been made public due to technical reasons.
ACP (Cyber Cell) Murad Jabir Singh Gill is supervising the progress of the case but neither he nor his staff confirmed whether any of the accused have been arrested or not.
Sources revealed that the Cyber Cell, Ludhiana, had booked at least 10 persons or entities, including organisers of social media platforms, for allegedly undertaking criminal conspiracy, spreading false statements, rumours or alarming news with intent to incite hatred or enmity among groups and spreading misleading and false information.
Mintu Gursaria, Gagan Ramgarhia, Harman Farmer, Mandeep Makkar, Gurlal S Mann, Sanamu Dhaliwal, Manik Goyal, Deep Mangli, Arjun live and Lok Awaj Tv are among suspects.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had allegedly undertaken a negative agenda regarding the use of the Chief Minister’s helicopter when he was away for a long time on tour to Japan and South Korea.
The complainant, SHO Satbir Singh, has alleged that content highlighted through various modes was predicted upon erroneous interpretation of flight-tracking data, selective presentation of extraneous visuals and insinuatory remarks sorrowful of factual foundation thereby constructing a false , misleading and deliberately fabricated narrative.
Police observations revealed that the act of suspects carried risk of potential undermining of institutional integrity, endangering social polarization and catalyzing spread of additional unconfirmed negative narrative against the democratically elected government.
The Tribune tried to contact the complainant and the officer supervising the investigation to confirm if any of the suspects had been detained or arrested but their response is awaited.
However, perusal of records revealed that the SHO, Cyber Crime Cell, had come about the propaganda through the Social Media Monitoring Cell of the government that was followed by registration of a case against 10 individuals and entities on December 12.
