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SGPC members, staffers booked for ‘forcibly’ taking possession of disputed property
With 2 FIRs registered, SAD leader ups ante against SGPC chief accusing gurdwara body staffers of defaming the party with their mistakes. They said SGPC now faced embarrassment.
Two members and several staffers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) have been booked for forcibly taking possession of the disputed real estate property situated in Antaryami Colony in the holy city, said the officials on Sunday.
On complaint of Harpal Singh who has a stay from the court on the land, the Punjab Police registered two FIRs of number 297 and 298 at Police Station B Division. He accused the SGPC men of trying to occupy his land which is part of a school campus.
The FIR number 297 was registered under sections 448 (house-trespass), 511 (attempt to steal some jewels by breaking open a box), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) IPC. Those nominated in this FIR are SGPC members Harjap Singh and Arjinder Singh Mehta, secretary Partap Singh, other staffers Harwinder Singh, Monu Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Amarjit Singh and Gurwinder Singh.
Second FIR was registered under sections 379 (theft), 506 (criminal intimidation), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of IPC against Harvinder Singh, Surinder Singh and Talwinder Singh. In this FIR, the complainant states that the accused of damaging the cameras and violating the Punjab and Haryana High Court order. No arrest has been made yet in both the cases. Notably, the SGPC task force members with swords allegedly gathered outside the property and tried to take possession.
Harwinder Singh, one of the accused and manager of SGPC-managed Gurdwara Satlani Sahib in Amritsar district, said, “The complainant ensured the stay from the court by producing false evidence and this property is owned by the gurdwara. The complainant has grabbed the land illegally and now, to secure his possession, he has got false cases registered against the SGPC functionaries”.
Meanwhile, senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Halqa Incharge of Amritsar South segment where the disputed property is situated, Talbir Singh Gill upped the ante against the SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on this matter. He said, “Without proper homework and documentation, the SGPC took this action and faced embarrassment after facing two FIRs. This is an embarrassment not for the SGPC but also for the party (SAD). With such mistakes aimed at wooing the SGPC chief, employees of the gurdwara body are damaging the interests of the party (SAD)”.
“I already warned the SGPC chief of the consequences of this action, but he did not take my suggestion seriously. He has failed to rein in the wrongdoings of the SGPC officials who have even got their relatives recruited out of the way in the SGPC ‘’, added Gill, who is also very close to former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia. When contacted, the SGPC chief was not available over phone.
