The Punjab Police investigation into the viral deepfake video targeting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has brought a controversial name back into headlines — Jagman Samra, a Canada-based Indian national with a chequered past. The man accused of uploading the manipulated clip now finds himself at the centre of a storm that combines political drama, artificial intelligence misuse and a history of financial fraud.
According to investigators, Samra originally hails from Phaguwala village in Sangrur district, the Chief Minister’s home district, and is currently settled in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Describing himself as an “entrepreneur,” he has been running multiple social media pages with thousands of followers, often posting politically charged and provocative content. The alleged deepfake video — digitally altered using AI to portray the Chief Minister in a compromising situation — was first uploaded from one such Facebook account.
As the video went viral, the Cyber Crime Wing of Mohali Police registered a case under the IT Act and other penal provisions. Soon after, Samra went live on Facebook, denying all allegations and insisting that the video was genuine. During the live stream, he challenged the Punjab Police and the Aam Aadmi Party to prove the video was fake and announced that he would soon release “evidence” to back his claims. He even offered a Rs 5 crore reward to anyone who could prove it was a deepfake — a move that intensified public attention and prompted police to speed up their probe.
Meanwhile, a Mohali court issued a major directive to social media companies, ordering Facebook and Google to remove all versions of the objectionable content within 24 hours. The court also directed both platforms to block similar or identical uploads in the future, warning of legal consequences if the order was ignored.
Further digging into Samra’s past revealed that this is not his first encounter with the law. In 2020, he was booked in a Rs 65 lakh cheating case registered at Talwandi Bhai police station in Ferozepur district. According to the FIR, Samra, along with two others, allegedly duped several people by promising them profitable investments and opportunities abroad. Victims claimed they were persuaded to deposit large sums of money, but the accused later disappeared with the funds.
In February 2022, while under trial at Faridkot Central Jail, Samra escaped custody during medical treatment, vanishing before police guards could react. He reportedly fled to Canada soon after and has remained there since. The Punjab Police later issued lookout notices, but extradition attempts have so far been unsuccessful.
A senior police officer said investigators are now examining whether Samra acted alone or as part of a coordinated attempt to damage the Chief Minister’s image. “We’re analysing the digital trail and engaging with central agencies to obtain his IP details and social media logs,” the officer said, adding that legal coordination with international authorities is being explored.
Cyber experts warn that the case exposes the dangerous potential of AI-generated misinformation in political contexts. “The combination of deepfake tools and social media reach can cause serious reputational harm within hours,” said a Chandigarh-based digital forensic analyst. “Even if proven false later, the damage to credibility and public trust is immense.”
