AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—Taking action against those held guilty in inquiry report of missing Guru Granth Sahib’s saroops on directions of Akal Takht Sahib, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) sacked its six employees including some officials, suspended five and terminated services of charted accountant Satinder Singh Kohli for whom the gurdwara body remained in the controversies in past.
After presiding over the meeting of the SGPC executive committee at Sri Guru Ram Das Medical College here, the SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal disclosed the punishment awarded to the guilty, which is given below:
- Services of Satinder Singh Kohli and his firm named SS Kohli and Associates are terminated with immediate effect and as per the report of the inquiry panel against him, legal action will be taken against him for recovering from him 75 percent service charges.
- Assistant secretary Gurbachan Singh, assistant accountant Jujhar Singh, assistant clerk Baj Singh, helper Dalbir Singh, and sevadar Amarjit Singh were dismissed. A complaint and a criminal case will be filed against them.
- Manjit Singh, secretary and head of Dharam Parchar Wing of the SGPC, assistant secretary (finance) Satinder Singh, assistant secretary Nishan Singh, publication supervisor Gurmukh Singh, in-charge Paramdeep Singh were suspended. Departmental action will be taken against them.
- The release of funds of Kanwaljit Singh who has already retired as an assistant supervisor in the publication department is halted. A complaint will be lodged against him for registration of a criminal case for the fabrication of the official record.
- Contract of binding of the saroops with Kulwant Singh and Jaspreet Singh is canceled and both are blacklisted for future initiatives.
- SGPC announced that the former SGPC chief secretary, Harcharan Singh, has failed to discharge his responsibilities. Not taking action by him during his tenure against the employees involved in the fabrication and alteration of the record despite knowing everything reveals that he too played role in the entire episode. As a chief administrator of the institution, he was responsible for what is taking place in the SGPC. Thus, legal action will also be taken against him.
- Under the supervision of SGPC general secretary Harjinder Singh Dhami, a sub-committee is set up to ensure legal proceedings against all those held guilty in the inquiry report.
Pertinently, Roop Singh who has been serving as chief secretary of the SGPC for the last three years and whose role was under scanner in this case tendered his resignation in a very dramatic way. The SGPC chief while pronouncing the verdict disclosed that Roop Singh has already resigned and his resignation was accepted. However, it was uttered that departmental action would be taken against him as well.
In the press release issued by the SGPC media department, the departmental action against him was not mentioned. It has triggered a debate as to why he was spared after announcing action against him, while his predecessor, Harcharan Singh was directly held accountable.
After the matter of missing saroops was disclosed by the Punjab Human Rights Organization, Roop Singh, flew to Canada. Notably, the report once again was not made public. Keeping it secret has raised eyebrows of many.
