Amritsar, March 10: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has suspended its secretary, Partap Singh, in connection with the unauthorized sale of prime land belonging to Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali. The action was taken by SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami on Monday following a report from a five-member sub-committee, which concluded that the secretary’s signatures on the transaction documents were genuine.
Additional Secretary Shahbaz Singh confirmed the development on Tuesday, stating that the decision followed a detailed investigation led by executive member Harjinder Kaur. The controversy involves the illegal sale of 44 marlas (approximately 2.2 kanals) of land situated in Saini Majra village near IT City. Although revenue records identify the property as gurdwara land, the sale deed allegedly claimed the plot did not belong to any religious institution.
The matter first surfaced after residents of Saini Majra alerted the SGPC to the suspicious deal. Local SGPC member Paramjit Kaur Landran maintained that the land was undervalued in the transaction, fetching only Rs 1.32 crore. She asserted that had an open auction been conducted, the property could have commanded a market price between Rs 15 crore and Rs 20 crore.
In February, the Mohali police registered a case of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy against seven individuals, including the gurdwara manager, Rajinder Singh. Interestingly, the initial police complaint had been filed by Partap Singh himself, who at the time alleged that the documents had been forged. However, the internal SGPC probe subsequently focused on the secretary’s own role in the registration process.
To ensure a fair investigation, the SGPC had previously reassigned the management of gurdwaras under Section 85 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act from Partap Singh to Additional Secretary Gurinder Singh Mathrewal. Opposition leaders had earlier criticized the SGPC, claiming the body was attempting to shield high-ranking officials before the probe reached its conclusion.
