Who Is Jagman Samra? The Canada-Based NRI at the Centre of the Bhagwant Mann Video Row
Jagman Samra, named by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann as the man behind the viral Guru Dokhi video, is a Canada-based NRI from Sangrur with a history of jail escape, fraud cases, and political controversy.
North Desk Correspondent
Chandigarh, June 26
When Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stood before cameras in Mohali on Thursday and named a Canada-based individual as the man behind the viral “Guru Dokhi” video, most people in Punjab had one question: who exactly is Jagman Samra?
Mann described him as “a blackmailer” with drug links who had escaped from jail and fled to Canada. Samra, for his part, has been anything but silent — running active social media pages, going live on Facebook, and daring the Punjab government to prove him wrong.
Here is what is known about the man now at the centre of Punjab’s most politically charged controversy.
From Sangrur to Abbotsford
Jagman Samra’s full name is Jagmandeep Singh Samra, also known by the alias Jugnu. He originally hails from Phaguwala village in Sangrur district — the Chief Minister’s own home district — and is currently settled in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
On his Facebook page, he claims to hold a Master’s degree in English Literature from Ranbir College, Sangrur, and describes himself as an “entrepreneur.” He runs multiple social media pages and regularly puts out YouTube videos in which he addresses — often defiantly — the allegations against him.
A History of Legal Trouble
Jagman Samra’s run-ins with the law predate the current controversy by several years.
He was originally arrested by the Ferozepur Police in a cheating case registered on November 28, 2020, at Talwandi Bhai Police Station, and was lodged in Faridkot Central Jail as an undertrial. While in custody, Samra was admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College Hospital in Faridkot for treatment on December 23, 2021. On February 1, 2022, he escaped from the hospital by deceiving the jail staff assigned to monitor him. Following his escape, the jail administration filed a complaint, and a case was registered against Samra and the negligent jail staff at Faridkot City Police.
Mann, speaking at the Mohali press conference, added a detail not previously reported: Jagman Samra had escaped from Faridkot Jail through Nepal before eventually reaching Canada.
After absconding, Jagman Samra reportedly fled to Canada. The Punjab Police later issued lookout notices, but extradition attempts have so far been unsuccessful. The Faridkot police have since obtained an arrest warrant from a local court against him. A separate Cyber Crime Wing case in Mohali has also been registered against him in connection with the Mann video.
The Tomar Tapes Connection
This is not the first time Jagman Samra has made national headlines. In November 2023, he surfaced in the infamous “Tomar tapes” controversy — purported conversations between him and Devendra Tomar, son of then Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, about parking wealth in Canadian banks. The tapes became a political flashpoint ahead of the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, with the state Congress calling it a major corruption scandal.
The Mann Video: What Samra Has Said
When the Guru Dokhi video first went viral and the Punjab Police Cyber Crime Wing registered a case against him, Jagman 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.
Jagman Samra has also declared on his social media videos that the clips released so far are “just a trailer” and that he has eight such videos he will release in the coming days. He also alleged having similar videos of other senior AAP leaders.
Reacting to the FIR against him, Jagman Samra wrote on his Facebook page that he was “least bothered” about it, adding that even if the government shut down his Facebook pages, he had other means of making the videos public.
North Desk could not independently reach Samra for comment on Mann’s latest prosthetic mask claim.
Mann’s Accusations: What the CM Said
At his Mohali press conference on Thursday, Mann went further than any previous statement — making specific allegations against Jagman Samra on the record.
Mann said the mask was specially manufactured and delivered. On the day it was delivered, Jagman Samra recorded a video inside his car after placing the mask over his hand. He also clicked photographs showing the mask and explained how it fits over another person’s face. The same mask was later placed on another individual and the fake video was shot. According to Mann, the room shown in the video is a hotel room in Abbotsford, Canada.
Mann also alleged that Jagman Samra had ordered a mask of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as well, and said that evidence would be presented in the coming days.
When asked by mediapersons whether Jagman Samra was his friend, Mann was categorical: Jagman Samra was not his friend, had met him only once, and had a tainted past with links to drugs and blackmail.
Where Things Stand
Jagman Samra remains in Canada. Extradition proceedings, if initiated, would be a lengthy process given the legal frameworks involved between India and Canada — a relationship that has itself been under strain.
The Akal Takht has summoned Sikh AAP MLAs and cabinet ministers to Amritsar on June 29. The Punjab Police Cyber Crime Wing case against Samra remains active. And with Mann having now made specific, named allegations against him on public record, Samra’s next move on social media — if any — will be watched closely.
READ ALSO: Gurugram FIR Decoded: What It Says About the Bhagwant Mann Video Row
READ ALSO: Bhagwant Mann Video Row: CM Says Prosthetic Mask, Sunglasses Used to Impersonate Him
Follow North Desk on WhatsApp for the latest from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb7ccdxJENy2H87DBG3E
