Chandigarh, January 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Police have arrested Satinder Singh Kohli, a Chartered Accountant considered close to Sukhbir Singh Badal, in connection with the case involving 328 missing saroops (sacred copies) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Kohli had earlier audited the records of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is currently facing serious allegations over missing saroops. While no official confirmation has yet been issued clarifying whether his arrest is directly linked to the missing saroops case, sources believe the action is connected to the same investigation.
This marks the first arrest in the case registered on December 7, 2025—nearly five years after the issue of missing saroops first surfaced. The FIR names 16 SGPC officials, ranging from senior officers such as former chief secretaries to lower-ranking employees.
The SGPC has consistently maintained that the issue pertains to financial irregularities rather than sacrilege, asserting that it alone has jurisdiction over such matters. The Sikh body has also claimed that disciplinary action had already been taken against all 16 officials found responsible for alleged financial mismanagement.
Following the registration of the FIR, the Punjab Government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from both the SGPC and the Shiromani Akali Dal.
The case stems from a prolonged inquiry into alleged mismanagement and discrepancies in record-keeping at the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan in Amritsar, the SGPC’s publishing wing where the sacred saroops are printed at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib. In Sikhism, a saroop is revered as a living Guru and accorded the highest sanctity. The controversy primarily revolves around the printing, publication, custody, allotment, and maintenance of records of these sacred scriptures.
Kohli, who is also stated to have previously served as a Chartered Accountant for Sukhbir Singh Badal, was booked along with 16 SGPC officials on a complaint filed by Bhai Baldev Singh Wadala, Chief of Sikh Sadbhawna Dal and a former Hazuri Raagi of Harmandar Sahib. Wadala had led a protest near the Heritage Street close to the Golden Temple, demanding justice in the missing saroops case. Following the protest, Punjab Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan and Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains assured that due action would be taken.
The FIR is based on an inquiry report prepared by a panel led by Ishar Singh, which was constituted by the Akal Takht.
Those named in the case include former chief secretary Roop Singh, former secretary Manjit Singh, and several other SGPC officials. The FIR has been registered under Sections 295, 295-A, 409, 465, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code at Police Station Division-C, Amritsar Commissionerate, police officials said.
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