CHANDIGARH, 2 January
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Friday cornered the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and its president Harjinder Singh Dhami over the grave and highly sensitive issue of 328 missing saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, pointing out to deliberate protection of influential individuals, conflict of interest, and repeated attempts to derail justice.
Addressing a press conference, Baltej Pannu said that while SGPC President Dhami claims that the action is an “interference in Sikh affairs,” the entire Sikh community knows that this matter reached the SIT only because of its seriousness and the failure of SGPC to act honestly and transparently.
Baltej Pannu recalled that a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and while disposing of the matter, the High Court clearly ordered that the investigation be carried out by the government. “Acting on the court’s directions, an FIR was registered, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising capable officers was constituted, and the first arrest has now taken place,” he noted.
He revealed that the arrested accused, Satinder Singh Kohli (SS Kohli), is a Chartered Accountant who has worked not only for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) but also as the CA for the Badal family, handling their businesses. “This fact alone raises serious questions,” Baltej Pannu said.
On the financial irregularities, Baltej Pannu referred to the clarification issued by former Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh Ji, who stated that he had ordered that 75% of the money paid to the firm linked with SS Kohli be recovered and deposited back. “To this day, that money has not been credited back to the SGPC account. Instead, SGPC claims that it has taken the matter to the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission,” he highlighted.
Baltej Pannu raised a crucial question of conflict of interest, stating that the same advocate, Adv Sialka, is appearing on behalf of SGPC to recover money and simultaneously appearing as defence counsel for SS Kohli, who is a named accused in the 328 Saroops case.
“Is this not a clear conflict of interest, or was this done deliberately?” he asked. “How can one lawyer represent SGPC for recovery of money and at the same time defend the person accused in the disappearance of 328 Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji?”
Highlighting Giani Harpreet Singh Ji’s statement further, Baltej Pannu said the former Jathedar made it clear that legal action was recommended, but within one week, SGPC changed its resolution and decided that no legal action would be taken, only because SS Kohli’s name had surfaced. “If SS Kohli’s name had not appeared in the Ishar Singh report, legal action would have been initiated immediately,” he pointed out.
Baltej Pannu also pointed out that a room in a hotel was booked in the name of a journalist from a private channel owned by Sukhbir Badal, from where SS Kohli was arrested. “This raises a direct question, who is protecting this individual?” he asked.
Taking strong exception to Harjinder Singh Dhami’s claim that the issue is interference in Sikh matters, Pannu said, “When Gursikhs and various Sikh organisations held a press conference yesterday, are they not Sikhs? Do they not believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji?”
He asserted that truth and reality must come before the sangat and the entire world. Baltej Pannu also raised the issue of SGPC’s failure to launch its own satellite TV channel, despite clear written directions and a time limit given by then Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh Ji.
“SGPC did not launch its channel because live telecast continued on a Badal family–owned private channel,” he said. “Instead, SGPC merely created a YouTube channel and wrote ‘SGPC’ on it, while ignoring the Jathedar’s clear directive to launch a free-to-air satellite channel, so that Gurbani’s audio and video could be freely accessed by all channels for wider propagation, without monopolised profit,” said Baltej Pannu.
“The order of the Acting Jathedar was not followed because profits were being earned by only one channel,” Baltej Pannu said, adding that everything revolves around one family, which is being protected so that its business continues and grows on a large scale.
Baltej Pannu further pointed out that to protect one individual, the proposal based on the Ishar Singh report, which recommended departmental and legal action against the guilty, was deliberately nullified by passing another proposal stating that no legal action should be taken, solely because SS Kohli’s name was included. “Why is one person being protected so aggressively? What secrets does he hold? What all happened in which hotels, what arrangements were made, more revelations are expected in the coming days,” he warned.
Baltej Pannu made a direct appeal to SGPC President Dhami to fully cooperate with the SIT, which has already achieved a major breakthrough with the arrest of an accused. “SGPC must cooperate so that the truth about the 328 missing Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, where they are and who is responsible, comes out,” he said.
He also referred to the written order issued by the current Jathedar, directing SGPC to use its staff and resources to locate the missing saroops, stating that this itself proves that the whereabouts of the 328 saroops are still unknown.
“While Harjinder Singh Dhami keeps saying that the matter was already resolved and it was just a counting error, the written order of the Jathedar clearly shows otherwise,” Baltej Pannu said.