Navneet Chaturvedi Moves Punjab and Haryana HC, Seeks Protection from Arrest in Forgery Case

October 15, 2025

Chandigarh: A day after a tense face-off between the Chandigarh Police and Punjab Police over custody, Janata Party president Navneet Chaturvedi on Wednesday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking protection from arrest in the forgery case registered against him.

Chaturvedi has been accused of forging the signatures of Punjab MLAs on nomination papers submitted for the Rajya Sabha bypoll for the state’s lone seat.

In his petition, Chaturvedi sought 10 days’ protection from arrest and requested that the court direct the Punjab Police to produce a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him. He also alleged that Punjab Police officers attempted to abduct him from Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Custody Row Between Punjab and Chandigarh Police

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police have filed a petition in the high court seeking Chaturvedi’s custody. Following the registration of the FIR in Ropar, a Punjab Police team reached Chandigarh to arrest him. However, the Chandigarh Police took him into custody first, leading to a jurisdictional standoff between the two forces.

On Monday, Punjab Police registered multiple FIRs after several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs complained that their signatures were forged on Chaturvedi’s nomination papers.

Forgery Allegations and Police Action

According to Punjab Police, the complainant MLAs stated that they learned through messages and social media posts that their names were listed as proposers in the nomination papers filed by Chaturvedi.

Chaturvedi had reportedly submitted two sets of nominations — one on October 6 and another on October 13 — before the Secretary of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

In their complaints, the MLAs alleged that a handwritten list of proposers, purportedly bearing their forged signatures, had been attached to the nomination papers and circulated online. They categorically denied signing or supporting Chaturvedi’s candidature, accusing him of forgery and fraudulent use of their names without consent.

Punjab Police officials said the forged documents were submitted before a constitutional authority, making it a serious criminal offence under charges of forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. FIRs have since been registered in the constituencies of the affected MLAs.

Punjab Government Seeks Action Against Officials

Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi and Additional Advocate General Chanchal Singla, appearing for the Punjab government, sought transfer of custody of Chaturvedi to the Punjab Police. They also urged the court to initiate contempt and departmental proceedings against officials allegedly responsible for defying court orders.

The High Court is expected to hear both petitions — by Chaturvedi and Punjab Police — later this week.