Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)

Missing ‘saroops’: SGPC sacks 6 staffers, suspends 5

- Surjit Singh

THOSE DISMISSED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT INCLUDE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY, A CLERK, AN ASSISTANT, A HELPER, AND A SEWADAR AT ANGITHA SAHIB, GOINDWAL SAHIB

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive on Thursday took action against its 11 employees and a charted accountant firm indicted in the inquiry conducted in the case of missing ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib on the Akal Takht order.

A fire incident took place in the SGPC publishing house at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib on May 19, 2016, in which 14 ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib were damaged, as per the gurdwara body claim. After five years of the incident, the Punjab Human Rights Organisati­on (PHRO) said that the damage was done on mass level and this fact was kept under wraps to save the then SAD-BJP government from public wrath when the issue of Bargari sacrilege was already burning and next assembly polls were close. On the basis of the statement of a retired employee of the SGPC, the PHRO maintained that 267 ‘saroops’ went missing.

As the Akal Takht gave the SGPC a week for taking action against the guilty, the gurdwara body’s executive conducted an emergency meeting at Sri Guru

Ram Das Medical College on Thursday in which SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal pronounced the verdict that was stated as delivered on recommenda­tions of the inquiry panel led by Telangana high court lawyer Ishar Singh.

“Services of SS Kohli and Associates are terminated with immediate effect and as per the findings of the inquiry panel against him, legal action will be taken against him for recovering 75% of service charges paid,” said Longowal.

Those dismissed with immediate effect include assistant secretary Gurbachan Singh, assistant Jujhar Singh, clerk Baaj Singh, helper Dalbir Singh, Amarjit Singh and sewadar Angitha Sahib, Goindwal Sahib. A criminal case will also be registered against the trio for their role in the case.

Manjit Singh, secretary, is the senior-most official among those suspended. He is heading Dharam Parchar Committee of the gurdwara body. Others are assistant secretary (finance) Satinder Singh, assistant secretary Nishan Singh, publicatio­n supervisor Gurmukh Singh, in-charge Paramdeep Singh.

SGPC stopped release of funds of Kanwaljit Singh, who has already retired as assistant supervisor in the publishing house where the saroops were printed and kept. A criminal case will be registered against him for tampering with the record and committing a fraud. Notably, Kanwaljit disclosed the entire matter through the Punjab Human Rights Originatio­n (PHRO) and he lodged a complaint against the SGPC for stopping his funds.

The SGPC blamed Harcharan Singh, former chief secretary of the SGPC for his alleged role in the case, but remained silent on Roop Singh, incumbent chief secretary, who went to Canada few days after Akal Takht ordered inquiry. While pronouncin­g the verdict, Longowal said Roop Singh has already resigned and his resignatio­n is accepted.

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