Had given report to CM, home secy only: Ranjit panel

Akali Dal all set to make the leak issue its defence, jails minister Randhawa says he will answer them in the House

› I requested the CM during a cabinet meeting to get the leak probed. Bikram Singh Majithia should move the high court if he thinks I coerced Himmat Singh (a witness in report). SUKHJINDER RANDHAWA, jails minister

CHANDIGARH:With the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) making the leak of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents and police firing in October 2015 its defence, the panel has tried to steer clear of the controversy saying it had submitted the report to the chief minister and the state home department only.

Sources in the commission said the report was submitted to the CM on June 30 and a few days later a copy of it in a sealed cover was given to home secretary NS Kalsi when he asked for the report.

Kalsi did not respond to calls and messages as to who else did the home department send copies of the report.

The SAD in its notice for breach of privilege motion to speaker Rana KP Singh on Thursday had demanded prompt action against those who could have leaked the report, naming Ranjit Singh himself, Punjab jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rebel MLA Sukhpal Khaira.

While the Congress is all set to launch an offensive against the Akalis while debating the report, the latter have not targeted CM Capt Amarinder Singh on the issue, by choosing to corner these three only on the basis of what it termed as “circumstantial evidence”.

“Justice Ranjit Singh says he submitted the report to the CM. But soon, selective leaks started appearing in newspapers. As the panel head, he should have issued a warning to newspapers not to report its contents. He cannot escape the blame for the leak,” SAD spokesman Mahesh Inder Grewal said.

State advocate general Atul Nanda too had received a copy but he claims to have returned it to the government.

On Khaira, the Akalis claim he had access to the report as Justice Ranjit Singh is his brother-in-law. At a press conference, Khaira had handed out copies of the special investigation team report (on sacrilege cases) submitted to the Ranjit panel.

KHAIRA DARES SAD TO PROVE CHARGES

Khaira too debunked the charges daring the Akalis to prove he leaked it. “I cannot deny my relationship with Justice Ranjit Singh. But he is a man of integrity. I challenge Akalis to prove the allegations,” Khaira said.

Minister Randhawa, the SAD has alleged, was helping the panel in framing the report by “sending witnesses” as has emerged from the statement of one of the key witnesses, Himmat Singh, a former granthi at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, who told the panel that it was former CM Parkash Singh Badal and his son, SAD president Sukhbir Badal, who secured pardon for Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

Randhawa said, “I requested the CM during a cabinet meeting to get the leak probed. I will answer their allegations in the House. (Akali leader Bikram Singh) Majithia should move the high court if he claims I coerced Himmat Singh. I have written to the Akal Takht jathedar to explain why was Himmat’s brother, Gurmukh Singh, reinstated as head granthi of the Akal Takht after he was sent to Jind in Haryana for also making allegations that the Badals engineered the dera apology.”

He said Himmat has said what he told the Ranjit panel even when he was removed as granthi last year. “The videos of both brothers are still available on social media. The Akalis are using the privilege motion as a ploy to boycott the session. They are frightened,” he said.

Grewal said the videos of Himmat and Gurmukh could also be fabricated and the panel should have questioned the duo to verify their authenticity.