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2 men detained by police at Golden Temple: SGPC slams police, initiates probe
Chaos had erupted in the holiest Sikh shrine after police personnel in plain clothes turned up there to apprehend two persons in connection with a case, following which the SGPC task force also detained two cops in a room.
Condemning the Punjab Police for detaining two men from the premises of Golden Temple, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday termed the action unfair and one that went against the sentiments of the sangat.
It also ordered an administrative inquiry of the incident that took place on Friday.
Chaos had erupted in the holiest Sikh shrine after police personnel in plain clothes turned up there to apprehend two persons in connection with a case, following which the SGPC task force also detained two cops in a room. They remained confined for a considerable period of time until senior police officials intervened in the matter and persuaded the SGPC to release them.
Reacting to the incident, SGPC secretary Partap Singh termed the act as arbitrary police action and an interference in the established management system.
He said a large number of devotees from India and abroad visited Golden Temple daily to pay obeisance. “No prior information about the planned police action was given to the SGPC. Taking any person into police custody without informing the management is inappropriate and goes against the sentiments of the devotees,” he added.
Singh stated that Golden Temple was the centre of faith for the Sikh community, where police cannot be allowed to carry out such actions at will. He further added that an inquiry into the police action was being conducted at the administrative level and its report will be submitted to the executive committee of the SGPC.
Detained men are father-son duo from Ferozepur
The two individuals taken into custody from Golden Temple were identified as Satvinder Singh and his son Prince, residents of Mohan Ke Hithar village in Ferozepur district.
According to family members, the duo had arrived at the shrine with two female relatives around 9.30 am. While the women were taking a dip in the sarovar, the father and son were waiting in the parikrama when they were taken away by cops.
Satvinder Singh’s wife, Lakhbir Kaur, stated when she and her mother-in-law Rukman Devi returned to the parikrama around 10.30 am, her husband and son were missing, and their mobile phones were switched off.
They also went to the Jora Ghar and waited, but the two did not appear. Later, someone directed them to Room Number 50 inside the parikrama, where they met SGPC staff and provided their contact number. After that, they returned to their village.
According to Kaur, upon reaching the village, she learned that the police had raided their house and broken the locks. She expressed apprehension that her husband and son had been taken into police custody. However, they received no information from police.
She acknowledged that her husband had previously served a sentence in a land dispute case and had been released on bail seven months ago. She strongly denied rumors alleging illegal activities or links with Pakistan.
She said, “We are a poor family. My son is studying in Ganganagar. I myself am suffering from a brain tumour and have weak eyesight. We do not understand why this is happening to our family.”
