20 MLAs, forged signatures: Navneet Chaturvedi walks out of jail, says ‘things will be uncovered in the coming days’

Two months after creating a political storm in Punjab, Navneet Chaturvedi, who claims to be the national president of the Janata Party and filed his nomination papers twice for Rajya Sabha bypolls, asserting he had the support of 10 MLAs of the ruling AAP each time, has quietly walked out of jail.

Chaturvedi, 47, who was arrested in October last year, spent 70 days in jail, and was released on December 26.

Chaturvedi wrote on his Facebook on Tuesday, “Politics is only successful when a person remains in the spotlight, spends money, and faces legal charges; this year, all three elements—public attention, legal cases, and expenses—came together. This outgoing year, 2025, has given me a lot, which I need to consolidate in the coming year. I extend my best wishes and advance greetings for the upcoming New Year to all my colleagues, friends, well-wishers, critics, opponents, and everyone else.”

He told The Indian Express, “Now, I am a free bird.”

Chaturvedi, who said he was hurt, will stay in Chandigarh for a year until the next elections.

“They have passed me on as a con and as someone who forged signatures of 10 MLAs. They should know that not 10 but 13 MLAs are with me. Had they done the scrutiny on December 14 instead of December 13, those MLAs would have stood their ground, and the AAP government would have fallen. I would have been elected,” he claimed.

Stating that the AAP was in no way less than the Bharatiya Janata Party, he said, “They accuse the BJP of usurping and controlling institutions. What has the AAP done? They had control over the officers in Vidhan Sabha, who leaked to them the names of MLAs. Then I was booked in three FIRs. I argued my case myself, and the Sessions Court in Ropar bailed me out.”

He said he was treated well by the police and other authorities while he was in custody and in jail, “The officials knew I was not a criminal. I was a political prisoner. But then, staying in jail is not easy. You have to suffer in prison.”

Chaturvedi has also filed an election petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

“My next date [of hearing] is January 16. I will appear personally and argue my case. I want to tell the world that I did not forge any signatures. Those were real signatures. Where is the forensic report to say those signatures are not real? Would you even go to a bank to get a cheque encashed with forged signatures? Why would I go to a Vidhan Sabha secretariat with forged signatures? There is much more than what meets the eye. Things will be uncovered in the coming days.”

Forged signatures, multiple FIRs

From flaunting his stay in luxury hotels on his social media account to languishing in Punjab Police custody, Chaturvedi’s release has gone unnoticed in Punjab’s political circles.

On October 6, 2026, Chaturvedi filed his nomination papers as an Independent candidate for the first time while claiming the support of 10 AAP MLAs. Later, on October 13, he filed another set of papers, having “alleged signatures” of 10 more AAP MLAs.

His nomination paper caused quite a stir within the AAP when the MLAs had to explain to the party state chief, Aman Arora, and national convener, Arvind Kejriwal, that they did not endorse his candidature.

The MLAs then lodged a complaint with Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police, Punjab, and returning officer for Rajya Sabha byelection, Ram Lok Khatana, with one of them saying Chaturvedi’s claim was “completely false, baseless, and misleading”. Following their complaints, the Punjab Police filed multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) against him.

Chaturvedi, however, told the media that those signatures were genuine and that he obtained them through his sources.

The AAP had nominated industrialist Rajinder Gupta for the byelection, necessitated by Sanjeev Arora’s election to the Punjab Assembly. He is now a minister in the Cabinet of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Gupta was elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed.

Chaturvedi was arrested following directions from a Ropar court, a day after scrutiny of the papers.

Before his arrest, a face-off between Chandigarh and Punjab Police left everyone following the developments surprised when the city police did not allow the state police to arrest him. Later, Chaturvedi said he had asked the Chandigarh Police to provide him with security, as he feared the Punjab Police would try to nab him.

Before his arrest, Chaturvedi posted pictures on his social media from a hotel in Zirakpur, and then a 7-star hotel in Chandigarh. He also posted photos of himself enjoying luxuries at hotels across the country.

Police sources said that they were investigating him, but the probe hit a roadblock after the arrest of Ropar Range DIG HS Bhullar by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an alleged graft case.

A source said Chaturvedi told the police that he wanted to give the MLAs the right to vote, as the parties were trying to dictate to them who to elect to the Rajya Sabha. The source also claimed he had said he wanted to make headlines in Punjab.

‘Investigative journalist, author of books’

According to the Janata Party’s website, Chaturvedi was born in Bikaner and is a writer and investigative journalist “who has exposed many scams.” The website said Chaturvedi, a BCom graduate, lives in Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur.

“He is known to be one of the most famous political analysts, a renowned RTI activist, and author of best-selling books Geopolitics and Modas the Political Virus,” claims the website.

The site also claims that his book, Geopolitics: An untold story of Conspiracy, has shown that Indian elections in 2014 and 2019 were “mechanically devised and captured by foreign agencies like CIA and Mossad”.

“This book, written by Navneet Chaturvedi, unveils hidden political propaganda and certain scenarios with all the proofs and facts rightly described. After spending years in investigative journalism and simultaneously as an author, Navneet Chaturvedi has now stepped into the game of politics,” the website claims.

He unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from South Delhi.

“From being a hardcore journalist, Navneet Chaturvedi is also a social worker/RTI activist. He has worked for stopping child trafficking, releasing girls from female prostitute gangs, doing work for prisoners’ rights and welfare, etc. He has worked beyond his capacity for the betterment of society and in the national interest. He is all passionate towards helping underprivileged and needy people,” adds the website.