Amritsar: A preliminary inquiry by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has found alleged manipulation of records at gurdwara accommodations to indicate that a woman from Bahrain had stayed at the facilities for longer periods, SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said on Tuesday.
Dhami said the SGPC had received the preliminary inquiry report and expected the final report in the coming days. He said departmental action was being initiated against several employees, including officials associated with the accommodation facilities at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
The SGPC president displayed registers before the media containing entries allegedly linked to the woman’s stays. According to the records shown, there were around seven entries in the registers of accommodation facilities at Sri Anandpur Sahib, eight entries relating to accommodation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and one entry associated with Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali. The records also showed payments allegedly deposited for some of the stays.
Dhami displayed what he described as additional entries that appeared to have been made after the relevant dates, with serial numbers allegedly altered. He said handwriting samples of the employee suspected of making the additional entries had been sent for examination and that the person had been identified to a large extent.
He said Amrik Singh, who was in charge of the accommodation facilities at Sri Anandpur Sahib, was among those whose role had come under scrutiny. Dhami added that the involvement of some other employees and senior officials had also emerged and that departmental action against them was expected by Tuesday evening.
₹1 lakh assistance given on health-related application
Dhami said the woman had approached the SGPC seeking financial assistance for a health-related matter. After her application was approved by the executive committee, she was provided ₹1 lakh in assistance.
He said the application included medical documents submitted by the woman, which referred to a mental health-related condition.
Dhami also said there was no record showing that the SGPC had provided the woman with a vehicle, driver or any other form of VIP treatment.
Dhami seeks CBI probe
Dhami reiterated his demand for a CBI investigation into the matter. He alleged that the police inquiry constituted by the state government had turned the case into a “social media trial”, which he claimed was contrary to established procedures.
He further alleged that the SGPC was being deliberately targeted to damage the reputation of the Sikh institution and claimed that the matter was politically motivated.
Dhami said he would resign from his post immediately if any allegations against him were proved, but urged that unsubstantiated allegations should not be levelled against him. He also claimed that he had no prior information about the alleged irregularities.
He clarified that the SGPC’s inquiry committee was primarily examining the matter from an internal departmental perspective. He said the committee was not tasked with determining why the woman came to the institution, who brought her there or the purpose of her visit.
SGPC had earlier taken action
The SGPC had earlier relieved Giani Malkit Singh, additional head granthi of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, of his services in connection with the matter. Malkit Singh and a driver associated with Sri Anandpur Sahib had previously been suspended.
The resignation submitted by SGPC member Amarjit Singh Chawla in connection with the matter has also been accepted.
The findings described by Dhami are part of the SGPC’s internal inquiry, while the allegations and the roles of individuals named in connection with the matter remain subject to further investigation and verification.
