Missing 'saroops' case: AAP leader Pannu slams SGPC chief

Chandigarh, Jan 4 (PTI) Punjab AAP leader Baltej Pannu on Sunday attacked SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami for opposing the registration of an FIR in 328 missing 'saroops' of the Guru Granth Sahib case and said the apex gurdwara body has failed to find the sacred copies.

Pannu's statement came a day after Dhami lashed out at the AAP government over the registration of FIR, accusing it of interfering in the administrative rights of the SGPC with the sole purpose of gaining "political mileage" out of it.

Addressing the media here, Pannu said the core question Dhami is avoiding is simple and unchanged, "where are the 328 missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib ji, which the SGPC has failed to trace to this day".

Taking strong objection to Dhami's statement, Pannu said, "SGPC itself is constituted under an Act. Whenever the SGPC holds its general house meeting in Amritsar, it takes permission from the deputy commissioner. How can you say you don't believe in FIRs or police?" Pannu, while citing instances where the SGPC itself approached the police, referred to an FIR registered by former SGPC secretary against Tek Singh Dhanaula, who is today appointed as a Jathedar.

"An FIR under section 420 was registered, and even an arrest took place. So when the SGPC needs it, FIRs are acceptable," he said.

Dhami, when asked why the SGPC not cooperating with the police investigation in the case, on Saturday said the SGPC is an elected constitutional body under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, asserting that the entire issue only concerns the jurisdiction of the apex gurdwara body.

He had accused the ruling AAP of propagating that the SGPC is not cooperating, whereas the SGPC has already taken strict action against the guilty employees in accordance with the orders of the Akal Takht.

AAP leader Pannu said the Akal Takht-appointed panel had clearly stated that 75 per cent of the payment should be recovered from chartered accountant Satinder Singh Kohli who was arrested recently, yet nothing happened in the last five years.

"Around Rs 10 crore went to Kohli, out of which Rs 7.5 crore had to be recovered. Why was it not done," he asked.

Meanwhile, SGPC secretary Partap Singh said the claim made by Pannu that the annual general meeting (session) of the SGPC is held every year with the approval of the deputy commissioner is factually incorrect.

He stated that under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, after the general elections of the SGPC, only the election to the post of president during the first meeting is conducted under the supervision of the DC.

Thereafter, the proceedings of the meeting are conducted by the elected president.

Singh alleged that Pannu is misrepresenting this provision of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, which creates confusion among the Sikh 'sangat'.

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

The police have arrested Kohli and another person Kanwaljit Singh in the matter.

The matter pertaining to 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.

After the issue came to light in 2020, an inquiry was conducted by the Akal Takht-appointed panel and several SGPC officials were found guilty of misconduct. PTI CHS KVK KVK