Punjab & Haryana High Court Grants Anticipatory Bail in Holy Scriptures Case
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Kulwant Singh, a 61-year-old book binder, in a sensitive case concerning the alleged disappearance and unauthorised handling of 328 saroops (holy scriptures) of Guru Granth Sahib. This decision provides significant relief to the accused amidst serious charges.
Court's Rationale for Granting Bail
Justice Surya Partap Singh of the High Court considered multiple factors in granting bail. These included:
- The petitioner's advanced age of 61 years.
- The absence of any prior criminal record.
- A substantial delay in the registration of the FIR.
- The predominantly documentary nature of the evidence in the case.
The bench specifically noted that there was no material on record to suggest that Kulwant Singh directly committed any act of disrespect towards the holy scripture. Furthermore, the court found no indication that he would tamper with evidence or influence witnesses if granted protection from arrest.
Background and Serious Allegations
An FIR was registered at the Division-C police station in Amritsar on December 7 of last year. The case involves serious charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including:
- Forgery
- Criminal conspiracy
- Criminal breach of trust
- Hurting religious sentiments
The case also invokes provisions of the Jagat Jot Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008. The FIR was lodged following representations by members of the Sikh Sadbhavna Dal, based on findings from inquiry committees constituted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
The complaints relate to the reported disappearance of 328 sacred saroops that were allegedly in the custody of the SGPC back in 2016.
Prosecution's Case and Defence Arguments
According to the prosecution, Kulwant Singh, who worked as a contractual "Jild Saaz" (book binder), prepared 61 saroops from excess scripture pages without obtaining written approval. He also allegedly failed to maintain official records. The complainant has levelled several grave allegations:
- Unauthorised printing of the holy scriptures
- Misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 9.82 lakh
- Destruction of official records
- Acts amounting to sacrilege
The case also references a fire incident at Gurudwara Ramsar in Amritsar on May 19, 2016, where several saroops were reportedly damaged. Subsequent internal inquiries by the SGPC in 2018 and a High-Level Enquiry Commission in 2020 noted large-scale irregularities, including missing records and unaccounted scripture pages.
Counsel for the petitioner presented several key arguments in defence:
- Kulwant Singh is a senior citizen with no criminal antecedents.
- He was not a regular employee of the SGPC but had worked as a contractor since the year 2000.
- The FIR was lodged nearly 9.5 years after the alleged incidents occurred.
- The FIR was not lodged by the SGPC itself.
- The evidence is largely documentary, and custodial interrogation would not yield additional material.
- The petitioner acted on verbal instructions from superiors and had no role in financial misappropriation or deliberate disrespect to the scripture.
Court's Final Order
After hearing arguments from all parties involved, the High Court granted Kulwant Singh pre-arrest bail. The court issued specific directions that he must join the investigation as and when called by the investigating officer. This conditional bail ensures his cooperation while protecting his liberty pending further legal proceedings.
