E-Paper
Punjab forms SIT to probe missing saroops case
Team led by AIG (vigilance) Jagatpreet Singh to lead the investigation into the FIR registered on Dec 7
The Punjab government has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case of the missing 328 holy saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib.
Police, on December 7, registered an FIR against 16 individuals, mostly former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials and staffers, in connection with the missing ‘saroops’, nearly five years after the matter came to light.
As per the order issued by director of bureau of investigation, LK Yadav, a copy of which is with HT, AIG (vigilance), Mohali, Jagatpreet Singh, will lead the SIT.
Other members of the SIT are Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, DCP (investigation), Police Commissionerate Amritsar; Harpal Singh Sandhu, additional DCP, Police Commissionerate, Amritsar; Gurbans Singh Bains, SP (D), Patiala; Beant Juneja, ACP, Ludhiana; and Harminder Singh, ACP (D), Police Commissionerate Amritsar.
“The SIT shall function under the supervision of Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar”, reads the order, adding, “The Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, shall co-opt any other Police officer/official in the SIT from within Police Commissionerate, Amritsar. In case of Police officer/official posted at any place other than Police Commissionerate, Amritsar, the Commissioner of Police shall co-opt such police officer/official as a member of the SIT after approval of this office.”
Satinder Singh Kohli, former CA of SGPC and considered close to the Badal family, and former chief secretary of the SGPC, Roop Singh, are also among those booked. The FIR was registered on a complaint of sacked Golden Temple hazuri raagi Bhai Baldev Singh Wadala, who is head of Sikh Sadbhawna Dal.
The FIR was registered under IPC sections 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship or sacred object with intent to insult a religion), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 465 (forgery), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) at Police Station Division-C, Amritsar Commissionerate.
SGPC decries interference into Sikhs affairs
Reacting to the developments, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said interference by governments in religious and internal administrative affairs is not only unnecessary, but is also against Sikh traditions and “a direct challenge to Sri Akal Takht Sahib.”
“In this matter, an inquiry committee had already been constituted by Akal Takht Sahib, which conducted its investigation. Following this, the SGPC has already implemented departmental action against the guilty employees. No leniency was shown to anyone, and that action was taken after duly considering all points raised during the investigation,” he said.
He said that the state government’s deliberate attempt to give it a political colour is tantamount to playing with Sikh sentiments. “By doing so, the government is directly challenging the supremacy of Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” he said.
On December 11, SGPC put the ball in the court of Akal Takht’s jathedar and urged him to issue edict in this matter.
