Taking a U-turn on the registration of a criminal case against those responsible for the misappropriation of records of 328 “saroops”, the SGPC executive, which met today, decided to punish them as per the Sìkh Gurdwara Act and Panthic tradition.
A partial report of the probe has been uploaded on the SGPC’s website. Earlier, the executive, at its August 27 meeting, favoured criminal proceedings against these employees.
SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said no external authority could be allowed to interfere in the affairs of the Committee.
He categorically stated: “No desecration of holy scriptures had taken place and to take mileage out of the mistake committed by some black sheep, the opposition initiated a ‘smear campaign’ against the entire Shiromani committee.”
Longowal claimed that the employees did not deposit the “Bheta” (monetary value) of these “saroops” and pocketed the amount.
The “saroops” did not figure in the records of the Shiromani Committee. He said these were in the houses of the Sikh Sangat as per the Rehat Maryada.
All members of the executive and office-bearers of the Shiromani Committee will tender an apology at Akal Takht on September 18.
He said the executive also called upon the erring employees to appear before the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs to seek an apology.
In a separate decision, the committee called its budget session on September 28, which could not be held due to Covid-19 restrictions. The members also mourned the death of SGPC members Sajjan Singh, former member Chetan Singh Samao and former chief secretary Harcharan Singh.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation stated that it was an attempt to brush the matter under the carpet. Its members requested Giani Harpreet Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, to take stern action against the guilty.
Meanwhile, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Cabinet Minister, demanded the SGPC president’s resignation for dereliction of duty.