Chandigarh, Feb. 5 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday directed the Punjab State Election Commission (SEC) to have an audio clip, allegedly involving the Patiala senior superintendent of police (SSP), examined by an independent agency outside the control of the state.

The clip purportedly features the Patiala SSP, Varun Sharma, directing police personnel during the December 2025 zila parishad elections to prevent opposition candidates from filing nomination papers.

Expressing displeasure over the handling of the matter, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjeev Berry rapped the SEC, observing that its primary responsibility was to ensure free and fair elections through actions that were "free...