328 'missing saroops' case: SIT seizes mobiles, computers in raids at 14 places

Chandigarh, Jan 4 (PTI) A special investigation team of Punjab Police, probing the case of 328 missing 'saroops' (sacred copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib, on Sunday said it has seized mobile devices, tablets, computers and "incriminating" financial records and documents during raids at 14 locations.

The SIT also arrested a person identified as Kanwaljit Singh, the second after chartered accountant Satinder Singh Kohli in the case, according to an SIT spokesperson who said more arrests are likely.

The raids were conducted on Saturday at two locations in Chandigarh, eight places in Amritsar and one each in Gurdaspur, Rupnagar, Tarn Taran and Amritsar Rural.

"During the searches, seven mobile phones, three tablets, two laptops, a storage device and incriminating financial records and documents have been seized," said the spokesperson.

The seized electronic devices will be analysed forensically. Financial documents are under scrutiny as payments made by companies associated with several persons, including politicians, are under the scanner.

Searches were conducted at places linked to the accused.

The spokesperson said 16 persons had been named in the FIR registered in Police Station C-Division, Commissionerate Amritsar.

Two of them are no more, while 14 are under investigation, said the spokesperson.

Satinder Singh Kohli and Kanwaljit Singh alias Kawaljit Singh have been arrested in this case so far, said the spokesperson.

Kanwaljit was arrested on January 3. He was working as an assistant and allegedly played a direct role in serious irregularities relating to the maintenance and handling of religious scriptures and in unauthorised preparation/storage of scriptures, said the spokesperson.

The SIT is conducting investigations and collecting evidence in a systematic and meticulous manner. More searches and arrests are likely to take place, said the spokesperson, adding that further investigations are ongoing.

On December 7, the police had registered a case in Amritsar against 16 people, including SGPC's former chief secretary and the CA, in connection with the disappearance of saroops in 2020.

The FIR had been registered under sections including 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) of the IPC.

The matter about the disappearance of saroops from the SGPC's publication house in Amritsar came to light in June 2020, leading to a major controversy at that time.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday lashed out at the AAP government over the registration of the FIR, accusing it of interfering in the administrative rights of the apex gurdwara body with the sole purpose of gaining "political mileage" out of it. PTI CHS RT RT