Amritsar, August 5, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
Taking strict notice of misleading and factless media statements by former IG Ranbir Singh Khatra against the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), in the cases related to the beadbi (sacrilege) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in Faridkot district in the year 2015 regarding the closure report submitted in the court in 2019 by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the SGPC Secretary Partap Singh has asked Mr. Khatra to refrain from misleading Sangat with such statements, otherwise, the SGPC will take legal action against him.
In a statement issued here, SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said that the CBI had submitted a closure report in the court in July 2019 in connection with the sacrilege cases committed at Bargari by followers of Dera Sirsa at the behest of their Dera head, which was strongly objected and subsequently rejected by the SGPC.
The SGPC had strongly condemned CBI’s closure report through its executive committee resolution no. 515 on July 17, 2019, terming it very unfortunate and painful, while Mr. Khatra is making a mischievous attempt to prove that the SGPC had given an affidavit in favor of the CBI closure report by making base allegations against the Sikh organisation.
He said that the SGPC filed a protest petition through expert lawyers to get the CBI’s closure report canceled and the legal proceedings in the sacrilege cases were initiated with immediate effect, which are still ongoing.
He said that although these cases were later handed over from the CBI to the Punjab Police as per the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders, the SGPC is consistently pursuing these cases connected with Sikh sentiments.
During the hearing of these cases, which have been transferred from Faridkot to the Chandigarh District Court and the Punjab Haryana High Court, the SGPC has always conducted competent legal proceedings through its lawyers.
SGPC Secretary Partap Singh said that during the hearing of these cases, in the order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chandigarh District Court, Dr. Aman Inder Singh on March 7, 2024, referring to the submission of CIA Faridkot Inspector Harbans Singh, member of Punjab Government Special Investigation Team (SIT), this fact has been recorded that the sanction to prosecute Dera Sirsa head and his accused followers in all three (Bargari related sacrilege) cases of 2015, is pending with the Home and Justice Affairs Department of Government of Punjab.
He said it is clear from this fact that the Punjab Government led by the incumbent Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is protecting Dera Sirsa head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and his followers.
Partap Singh said that Pradeep Kler, an accused in the sacrilege cases, got bail shortly after his arrest and his turning as approver in a case also shows the intention of the state government. He appealed to the Sikh community to be aware of the wrong narrative being created against the Sikh organisation SGPC.
