Mohali FIR Row: No Media Person or Social Media Account Named in FIR, Clarifies SSP Varun Sharma
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh, October 17, 2026: The Mohali Police have clarified that no individual media person, social media account or news website has been named in the FIR registered in connection with a complaint filed by GB Realty Group against alleged online content. SSP Mohali Varun Sharma told Babushahi News Network that the FIR had been registered against unknown persons and that the names being circulated publicly appeared in an annexure submitted by the complainant, not as accused named in the FIR.
The clarification comes amid a controversy over the police action, which has brought online allegations, reputational disputes and freedom of expression into focus.
Speaking to Babushahi News Network, SSP Varun Sharma said the names of social media platforms and individuals being circulated were included in an annexure attached to the complaint filed by the company. Their inclusion in the complaint, he clarified, did not mean they had been named in the FIR. He said the matter was still under investigation.
The case was registered as FIR No. 29 on October 13 at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Sector 79, SAS Nagar (Mohali), following a complaint concerning a Mohali-based business group involved in real estate and educational institutions.
The complainant alleged that unverified content had been circulated on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and other platforms with the intention of damaging the group's reputation.
The complaint was filed by advocate Paras Sharma on behalf of GB Realty Group. He reportedly alleged that certain social media posts, videos and comments spread rumours about the group's managing director and the company, linking the business to alleged fraud in Canada. The complainant described these allegations as false and baseless and sought action against the accounts involved.
The complainant also submitted URLs of the content in question and requested that the material be removed and the relevant accounts blocked.
The FIR invokes Section 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.
The registration of an FIR does not amount to a finding of guilt. The allegations remain subject to investigation and any subsequent legal proceedings.
The reported police action has drawn sharp reactions from some Canadian media personnel, who criticised the Punjab Police, with some allegedly using abusive language against the department.
The controversy has attracted attention because the complaint concerns online accounts operating across international borders, including accounts reportedly linked to journalists and immigration consultants. The SSP's clarification makes clear that the names listed in the complainant's annexure should not be treated as individuals or accounts named as accused in the FIR.
Click to read the copy of the concerned portion of the FIR
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1--_e6WYuGeFivIVLBk7Rkn6WJiqrspDD/view?usp=sharing