In a significant escalation of the investigation into the mysterious disappearance of 328 sacred saroops (copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police carried out coordinated raids across multiple cities on Saturday. The searches targeted the premises of individuals named in the First Information Report (FIR) related to the 2020 case.
Widespread Raids Across Punjab and Chandigarh
The police action, led by Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, covered 15 out of the 16 persons named in the FIR. Raids were conducted at eight locations in Amritsar, two in Chandigarh, and one each in Gurdaspur, Ropar, and Tarn Taran districts. Senior officers were deployed to supervise the operations, signalling a decisive push to unravel the case that has shaken the Sikh community.
This development comes just two days after the SIT made its first arrest in the matter. Satinder Singh Kohli, a former internal auditor of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and an aide of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, was taken into custody. Kohli is considered a main accused in the case.
Political Reactions and Allegations of Conspiracy
The raids have triggered a sharp political blame game. SGPC member Bhagwant Singh Sialka launched a strong attack on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. He accused the state administration of orchestrating a "direct attack on the supreme Sikh religious institution, Akal Takht, and its sovereign authority." Sialka termed the investigation a "well-thought-out conspiracy aimed at maligning the image of Sikh institutions through a media trial."
Not to be left behind, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trained its guns on the SAD and the SGPC. Party spokesperson Sarchand Singh, in a letter to the officiating jathedar of the Akal Takht, demanded religious accountability. He urged the Akal Takht to summon SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and all executive committee members of the SGPC to pronounce religious atonement for their alleged roles.
A Case Beyond Legal Lapse: A Religious Crisis
The FIR in this sensitive case was registered at Amritsar's C Division police station on December 7. The disappearance of 328 saroops from an SGPC office is viewed not merely as an administrative failure but as a profound religious issue.
Emphasising the gravity of the situation, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar assured that no guilty person would be spared and that the SIT was conducting a meticulous and in-depth probe. The BJP's letter echoed this sentiment, stating the disappearance "is not a simple administrative or legal lapse, but an extremely serious and sensitive religious crisis directly connected to the maryada, honour, and very existence of the Sikh panth."
As the SIT digs deeper with raids and arrests, the case continues to unfold, intertwining legal investigation with deep-seated religious sentiments and high-stakes political maneuvering in Punjab.
