Chandigarh, October 15, 2025 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab Police has arrested Navneet Chaturvedi, national president of the Janata Party, in connection with a forgery case tied to his Rajya Sabha bypoll nomination in Punjab. The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in a contest that had already drawn considerable attention because of its unusual and contentious features.
The Arrest and Police Showdown
Armed with the warrants, a team of Ropar Police attempted to take Chaturvedi into custody in Chandigarh, where he was being held under the protection of Chandigarh Police.
That attempt triggered a standoff between Punjab and Chandigarh police forces.
Eyewitness reports said officers from both sides even drew their sidearms at some point, although official statements denied that weaons were brandished.
The confrontation reportedly unfolded near Sukhna Lake when the Ropar team tried to intercept Chaturvedi’s vehicle.
Chandigarh Police, insisting on following procedure, refused to hand over custody and transferred Chaturvedi to Sector 3 police station.
Reportedly, over 200 Punjab police personnel camped outside the station overnight, awaiting a potential transfer.
Eventually, Punjab Police executed the arrest from within the Chandigarh police premises, asserting their legal right under the Rupnagar court warrant.
Legal Battle: High Court Intervention
In parallel to the arrest, legal proceedings were initiated in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Chaturvedi filed a plea seeking temporary protection from arrest for 10 days and alleging that Punjab Police had attempted to forcibly abduct him from a Chandigarh police station.
He also demanded that the FIRs against him be produced before the court.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government filed its own petition in the same high court requesting directions to compel Chandigarh Police to cooperate in handing over custody to Punjab Police. They accused Chandigarh authorities of sheltering Chaturvedi and interfering with the arrest process.
The Punjab government also sought initiation of contempt and departmental proceedings against responsible officials.
The high court has issued notices in both matters and listed them for hearing on November 4, 2025.
Political Reactions and Implications
The case has become politically charged. The AAP has accused Chandigarh Police of acting as a “puppet” of the BJP, shielding Chaturvedi from lawful arrest. AAP Punjab president Aman Arora claimed that Chaturvedi’s nomination effort was a ploy to “steal” the Rajya Sabha election through illicit tactics.
In response, BJP leaders denied any involvement, questioning the necessity of the party engaging in such a scheme given their limited legislative strength in Punjab.
Observers note that, with Chaturvedi’s nomination rejected and others’ candidatures similarly disqualified or non-viable, Rajinder Gupta is now poised to win unopposed or with minimal contest.
Background: The Vacancy and Chaturvedi’s Entry
The seat in question was vacated by Sanjeev Arora, who resigned from the Rajya Sabha after winning the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll, subsequently joining the Punjab cabinet.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which holds a strong majority in the Punjab Assembly, fielded industrialist Rajinder Gupta as its candidate.
Meanwhile, Chaturvedi filed independent nominations in what he described as a “tactical move” — asserting he had the backing of 10 AAP MLAs.
Initially, he submitted an earlier nomination (on October 6) with only the names of these MLAs (no signatures), and later (October 13) submitted a fresh nomination with claimed signatures.
Chaturvedi maintained that his objective was not necessarily to win but to challenge the norm that ruling party nominees are elected unopposed, thereby ensuring MLAs have the right to cast votes.
Allegations of Forgery and Legal Action
Soon after his nominations, several AAP MLAs publicly denied that they had proposed Chaturvedi or signed his nomination papers. They accused him of forging their signatures and creating a fraudulent list of proposers.
The MLAs went to the Vidhan Sabha secretariat during the scrutiny process to assert they had no knowledge of Chaturvedi’s nomination.
The returning officer, acting on these claims, rejected his nomination after verifying that the signatures did not match and that several MLAs denied involvement.
Following these developments, multiple FIRs were lodged in jurisdictions corresponding to the involved MLAs. The offences alleged include forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy for the submission of “handwritten lists of proposers” bearing allegedly falsified signatures.
The Punjab Police lodged these FIRs and pursued legal action.
Hindustan Times
A court in Rupnagar (Ropar) subsequently issued arrest warrants for Chaturvedi.
What Happens Next
The High Court hearing on November 4 will determine the validity of the arrest, the handling of warrants, and potential transfer of custody.
Chaturvedi has already signaled his intention to challenge the nomination rejection and related legal decisions in court.
Meanwhile, the political significance of this showdown could ripple into perceptions of fairness in electoral processes and the independence of law enforcement agencies in high-stakes contests.
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