Amritsar/Chandigarh, Dec 23: Punjab has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged disappearance of 328 saroops (holy copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib from Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) records.
The SIT will be led by Jagatpreet Singh, AIG (Vigilance), SAS Nagar, with officers from Amritsar, Patiala, and Ludhiana on the panel. The team will function under the supervision of Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, and has authority to co-opt additional officers if needed.
“The SIT has been formed to investigate the case thoroughly,” said LK Yadav, Director of the Punjab Bureau of Investigation.
The case, registered on Dec. 7 by Amritsar police against 16 individuals—mostly former SGPC officials and staffers—includes charges of forgery, destruction of records, and sacrilege. Bail applications of the accused were dismissed by the court of the Additional Sessions Judge on Dec. 21.
The case stems from a complaint filed by Baldev Singh Wadala, a sacked hazuri raagi of the Golden Temple and head of the Sikh Sadbhawna Dal. Wadala and supporters had staged a dharna on Heritage Street near the Golden Temple, demanding strict action.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan had visited the protest site, assuring that a case had been registered.
