SGPC chief slams AAP govt over registration of FIR in 328 missing 'saroops' case

Chandigarh, Jan 3 (PTI) SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday lashed out at the AAP government over the registration of FIR in the case of 328 missing 'saroops' (sacred copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib, accusing it of interfering in the administrative rights of the apex gurdwara body with the sole purpose of gaining "political mileage" out of it.

Criticising the Bhagwant Mann government for registering the case, Dhami asserted that being the president of the apex gurdwara body, he would not allow any kind of government interference in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) jurisdiction.

On the question of why the SGPC was not cooperating in the police investigation in the missing 'saroops' case, Dhami 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 SGPC.

The Aam Aadmi Party leaders have been asking the SGPC to cooperate with the Punjab Police, which is probing the matter.

The police on Thursday arrested chartered accountant Satinder Singh Kohli. The arrest was made nearly three weeks after the police registered a case in Amritsar on December 7 against 16 people, including SGPC's former chief secretary and the CA in connection with the disappearance of 'saroops' in 2020.

Meanwhile, a special investigation team of police, which is probing the case, on Saturday conducted raids at 15 places, including Chandigarh, eight places in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Rupnagar and Tarn Taran.

Whatever evidence we will get will be brought on record, said Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. He further said the raids were being conducted at the residence of CA Kohli in Chandigarh. Searches were also being conducted at places linked to other accused, he said.

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 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.

Speaking to the media here on Saturday, Dhami slammed the Bhagwant Mann government for "unwarranted interference" in the administrative rights of the SGPC as he was referring to the registration of the FIR in the matter.

"Being president of the SGPC, I will not allow any kind of government interference," said Dhami. However, he said he has nothing to do with the 16 persons against whom the FIR has been registered.

"We have nothing to do with 16 people. But the SGPC is involved and the entire record is lying with the Akal Takht and It was an internal matter of the SGPC. My only point is jurisdiction. It is a matter of jurisdiction of the SGPC," he said.

He also criticised the government for the police summoning SGPC employees and asking for calling records.

"Why are SGPC employees being summoned and records being called? Being the SGPC president, I will not tolerate this. If you have to take action, then take it against me," he asserted.

"They are making it as an excuse to finish the biggest organisation of the qaum (Sikh community). Their sole purpose is to take political mileage," he said as he was targeting the AAP government.

After the issue of 328 missing 'saroops' came to light in 2020, an inquiry was conducted by the Akal Takht-appointed panel into the matter and several SGPC officials were found guilty of misconduct.

On December 29 last year, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the FIR was filed after several Sikh bodies demanded a thorough probe to find the missing 'saroops'.

He had also accused the SGPC of failing to find the 328 missing 'saroops' of the Sikh holy book, and accused it of "using the Akal Takht as a shield" to save those who are close to their "masters". PTI CHS VSD MNK MNK