Missing Guru Granth Sahib’s saroops: SGPC officials, employees held guilty, but names not disclosed

—Approving the report of an inquiry conducted into the case of missing 267 saroops of Guru Granth Sahib, the Akal Takht Sahib on Monday (August 24, 2020) directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to take action against its officials and employees held guilty in the report but did not disclose their names.

In a meeting held at the highest Sikh temporal seat, Panj Singh Sahiban (five Sikh clergymen) took many vital decisions on various Sikh issues. The biggest issue was the row over 267 saroops of Guru Granth Sahib, which went missing in the record of SGPC’s publishing house. On Akal Takht Sahib’s direction, SGPC’s inquiry was carried out by the panel led by Telangana High Court lawyer Ishar Singh who submitted the report on Monday to SGPC-appointed acting Jathedar of the Takht Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh.

Telangana High Court lawyer Ishar Singh Submits Investigation Reports

Divulging the resolutions passed in the meeting, Giani Harpreet Singh said, “It has been found out in the inquiry that record of the holy saroops is not maintained properly by the SGPC officials and employees. 186 saroops were printed and issued to the devotees without making their entry in the record and any authorization. These saroops were published with unaudited material. A difference is visible between invoices and receipts”.

The actual number of the missing saroops is 328, not 267 as cited by the SGPC, said the jathedar referring to the report according to which ledgers of the SGPC publishing house were also fabricated and tempered with. He called it unprecedented dishonesty and negligence. On the basis of this report, the Panj Singh Sahiban issued directions to the SGPC to call a meeting of its executive committee on the short notice of 48-hours and take action against the officials and employees held guilty in the report.

Taking serious note of the 2016 fire incident took place in SGPC’s publishing house at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib, that damaged the holy saroops, the Panj Singh Sahiban questioned those who are members of the SGPC executive committee at that time, and the then chief secretary, why they did not organize “Pashchatap Samagam” to express regret over the incident. For seeking clarification, the Takht Sahib summoned them on September 18, 2020.

Widespread negligence by SGPC a concern: Giani Harpreet Singh

Total 14 saroops were burnt and damaged in this fire incident as per SGPC’s official statement the actual number was much bigger, that was kept secret to save the then SAD-BJP government from the backlash of Sikhs when there was unrest in Punjab on the issue of Bargari sacrilege and next assembly polls were close. On the basis of this incident, the Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO) exposed this matter after five years.

The report has exposed the widespread graft in the gurdwara body as per the points shared by Giani Harpreet Singh. However, not making the report public and disclosing the names of any of those indicted in the report cause an apprehension that the guilty SGPC official or any other functionary having links with bigwigs may be spared.

Besides Giani Harpreet Singh, Takht Sri Patna Sahib jathedar Giani Ranjit Singh and Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh were also present in the meeting.

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