Amritsar, Jan 12 (PTI) In a change of stance, Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj on Monday directed the SGPC to cooperate with the Punjab government over the 328 missing sacred ‘saroops’ (scriptures) of the Guru Granth Sahib case.
The Jathedar on Monday said, “In view of the confusion being created among the ‘Sangat’ (Sikh community) by some people in the present matter of the sacred saroops and keeping in mind the larger Panthic interests, the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami, is hereby authorised to extend due cooperation to the government only with regard to the issue of the 328 sacred saroops.” In a statement issued here on Monday from the Akal Takht secretariat, the Jathedar said that if the government requires any information from the SGPC for investigation, the sought details may be examined at the SGPC’s Chandigarh sub-office in the presence of SGPC president Dhami.
The SGPC had on Tuesday said it would not cooperate or share any records with police in connection with the case of 328 sacred ‘saroops’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in accordance with the directives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
A special investigation team of Punjab police is probing the 328 missing ‘saroops’ of the Guru Granth Sahib case.
The police had registered a case in Amritsar on December 7 last year against 16 people, including a former SGPC official 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 regarding 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.
Meanwhile, Jathedar Gargajj on Monday said that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the living, eternal Guru of the Sikhs, and every Sikh and follower of Guru Nanak Dev across the world holds deep reverence and devotion towards the Guru Sahib.
He said that with regard to 328 ‘saroops’, an inquiry commission headed by Ishar Singh was constituted by the Akal Takht Sahib.
The commission’s report clearly states that these sacred ‘saroops’ were given to the ‘sangat’ through the collusion of concerned employees and officials, and the prescribed offerings were neither deposited into the trust funds nor were bills issued. This matter pertains to financial misappropriation by certain corrupt employees, he said.
Jathedar Gargajj said that the Ishar Singh Commission report, which has been approved by Akal Takht, clearly names 16 accused, who are also held guilty by the Akal Takht.
In light of the orders issued by the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, the SGPC has already taken departmental action against these 16 accused.
He further recalled that the then Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh, had also said from the historic stage of Gurdwara Manji Sahib Diwan Hall on November 17, 2020 that this was a case of administrative corruption in which the concerned employees had embezzled money, and that the SGPC had dismissed those employees who were found to have misappropriated funds.
Gargajj said the ‘Khalsa Panth’ has never tolerated nor will it tolerate in the future any government interference within the jurisdiction of the SGPC as it is the elected representative and apex Sikh body.
However, in view of the confusion being created among the ‘sangat’ by some people in the matter of the ‘saroops’ and keeping in mind the larger Panthic interests, SGPC president Harjinder Singh is hereby authorised to extend due cooperation to the government only regarding the issue of the 328 sacred ‘saroops’.
He said the Akal Takht has already issued orders that no political party, organisation or individual should attempt to seek political mileage from this sensitive matter and that the politics being done on it must be stopped, failing which strict action will be taken. PTI JMS SUN KSS KSS
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