Chandigarh: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday strongly criticised the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government over the registration of an FIR related to the disappearance of 328 ‘saroops’ of the Guru Granth Sahib, alleging that the move amounts to interference in the autonomous functioning of the apex gurdwara body for political gain.
Addressing the media, Dhami said the SGPC is a constitutionally elected body under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, and asserted that he would not allow any form of government intrusion into its jurisdiction. He accused the Bhagwant Mann government of attempting to undermine the authority of the SGPC under the pretext of investigation.
Responding to questions on why the SGPC was not cooperating with the police probe, Dhami maintained that the matter falls entirely within the SGPC’s domain. He said all records related to the issue are with the Akal Takht and described the controversy as an internal matter of the gurdwara body.
The remarks come amid pressure from Aam Aadmi Party leaders, who have urged the SGPC to cooperate with the Punjab Police investigation. On Thursday, police arrested chartered accountant Satinder Singh Kohli, nearly three weeks after an FIR was registered on December 7 in Amritsar against 16 individuals, including the SGPC’s former chief secretary, in connection with the case dating back to 2020.
A special investigation team probing the matter conducted raids on Saturday at 15 locations across Punjab, including Chandigarh, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Rupnagar and Tarn Taran. Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said searches were carried out at Kohli’s residence in Chandigarh and at premises linked to other accused, adding that any evidence recovered would be placed on record.
The FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to outraging religious feelings, criminal breach of trust, forgery and criminal conspiracy.
Dhami reiterated that he has no personal connection with the 16 accused named in the FIR but objected to the police summoning SGPC employees and seeking call records. He said such actions were unacceptable and challenged the government to take action against him directly instead of targeting staff members.
Accusing the ruling dispensation of trying to weaken the largest Sikh organisation, Dhami alleged that the issue was being used to derive political mileage. He recalled that after the matter of the missing ‘saroops’ surfaced in June 2020, an inquiry ordered by the Akal Takht had found several SGPC officials guilty of misconduct.
On December 29 last year, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had defended the FIR, stating it was filed following demands from various Sikh bodies for a comprehensive investigation. Mann had also accused the SGPC of failing to trace the missing ‘saroops’ and alleged that it was using the Akal Takht to shield individuals close to its leadership.
