Chandigarh, January 3: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government over the registration of an FIR linked to the disappearance of 328 ‘saroops’ of the Guru Granth Sahib, accusing it of encroaching upon the autonomous authority of the apex Sikh body for political advantage.
Speaking to the media, Dhami asserted that the SGPC is a constitutionally elected institution governed by the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, and said any form of government intrusion into its functioning would not be tolerated. He alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government was attempting to interfere in the jurisdiction of the SGPC under the guise of an investigation.
Addressing criticism over the SGPC’s alleged lack of cooperation with the police probe, Dhami said the issue squarely falls within the domain of the gurdwara body. He maintained that all relevant records are with the Akal Takht and described the matter as an internal issue of the SGPC rather than one warranting state intervention.
His remarks come amid repeated calls from Aam Aadmi Party leaders urging the SGPC to cooperate with the Punjab Police, which is investigating the case dating back to 2020. On Thursday, police arrested chartered accountant Satinder Singh Kohli, nearly three weeks after an FIR was registered on December 7 in Amritsar against 16 people, including the SGPC’s former chief secretary.
Meanwhile, a special investigation team probing the case 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 as well as at premises linked to other accused, adding that all evidence recovered would be placed on record.
The FIR has been lodged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including provisions related to outraging religious sentiments, criminal breach of trust, forgery and criminal conspiracy.
Dhami clarified that he has no personal association with the 16 individuals named in the FIR but strongly objected to the police summoning SGPC employees and seeking their call records. He said such actions were unacceptable and dared the government to proceed directly against him instead of targeting staff members.
Accusing the ruling party of attempting to weaken the largest Sikh organisation, Dhami alleged that the controversy was being exploited for political mileage. He recalled that after the issue of the missing ‘saroops’ came to light in June 2020, an inquiry constituted by the Akal Takht had found several SGPC officials guilty of misconduct.
On December 29 last year, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had defended the registration of the FIR, saying it followed demands from various Sikh bodies for a thorough investigation. Mann had also accused the SGPC of failing to recover the missing ‘saroops’ and alleged that it was using the Akal Takht as a shield to protect those close to its leadership.
