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In U-turn, Akal Takht tells SGPC to cooperate with Punjab govt in missing saroops case
Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj warns against political exploitation of the sensitive issue; authorises SGPC chief to share information with Bhagwant Mann government.
In a significant shift in stance, Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Monday directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to cooperate with the Punjab government regarding the case of 328 missing sacred saroops (scriptures) of Guru Granth Sahib.
The directive comes days after the Sikh clergy had initially termed government interference in the matter as “not in the Panth’s interest”. The jathedar has now authorised SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami to provide required information to investigators at its Chandigarh sub-office.
The case pertains to the misappropriation of sacred saroops from the SGPC’s publishing house. An internal inquiry by the Ishar Singh Commission previously found that 16 employees and officials colluded to distribute saroops without depositing the prescribed offerings (bheta) into trust funds. While the SGPC has already taken departmental action against these individuals, the AAP government recently escalated the matter by registering an FIR and forming a special investigation team (SIT).
Giani Gargaj cautioned against the political exploitation of the sensitive issue. “No political party should attempt to derive benefit from this. Anyone doing so will be held accountable to the Akal Takht for betraying Panthic interests,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the “low-level analogies and crude terminology” used by commentators on social media, warning that such disrespect toward the living Guru is “unbearable”.
The matter, first exposed by the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) in 2020, has become a flashpoint between the AAP-led government and the SGPC. While the SGPC previously viewed the FIR as an attack on its autonomy, chief minister Bhagwant Mann accused the committee of using the Takht as a “shield” for corrupt officials.
The FIR, registered on December 7, includes charges of criminal breach of trust and hurting religious sentiments. High-profile arrests, including Satinder Singh Kohli, a former internal auditor, have already been made.
