Missing saroops: Ex-HC judge opts out of probe
AMRITSAR: The probe into the case of missing 267 holy saroops (copies) of Guru Granth Sahib has got hampered once again as former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Navita Singh on Thursday disassociated herself from the matter.
Navita Singh was already out of the scene ever since the head priest of the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, assigned her the task to look into the matter in a month.
She did not even visit the Shiromani Gurdwara parbandhak Committee (SGPC) publishing house at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib, Amritsar, from where the holy saroops went missing. She has not met any of the witnesses either. The matter was highlighted by the Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO), a non-government rights advocacy group.
Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said Navita Singh sent them a communiqué in which she has expressed her inability to carry out the probe citing her domestic obligations.
The Takht announced her name for the probe on July 17 after a section of the community expressed doubts over the fairness of the panel constituted by the SGPC to enquire into the case.
In her place, the jathedar appointed Telangana High Court lawyer Ishar Singh who was earlier asked to assist her in the probe, as chief investigator.
Harpreet Kaur, a lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Harleen Kaur, a chartered accountant, have been deputed to assist him in the probe panel.
“This will not hinder the probe which will be carried out in a fair and impartial manner and completed within the stipulated time. Those found guilty in the probe report will not be spared,” said Giani Harpreet Singh.
Ishar Singh is learnt to have grilled the key witnesses and recorded their statements at the SGPC office. So far, statements of two dozen persons have been recorded. Records of the publishing house were shifted to the Akal
Takht secretariat.
AKAL TAKHT ACTING JATHEDAR APPOINTS A TELANGANA HIGH COURT LAWYER, WHO WAS EARLIER ASKED TO ASSIST HER, AS CHIEF INVESTIGATOR
NEW PANEL EYEWASH: PHRO
Terming the move of Navita Singh as unfortunate, the PHRO rejected the new probe panel. “The probe is mere an eyewash,” PHRO investigator Sarabjit Singh Verka said.
“Actually, the SGPC functionaries are trying their best to influence the probe being carried out by Ishar Singh. The incumbent and former employees were grilled in the presence of officials whose role is under scanner. The evidences are being tempering with,” he added.