Police, NIA implicating NRI Sikhs in false cases: Takht

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 26

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has accused the Punjab Police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) of implicating NRI Sikh youths in false cases and sought a probe from a neutral and independent agency.

In a strongly worded statement here on Saturday, he said there was resentment among the Sikh sangat over these arrests.

Citing the example of Gurjant Singh, a resident of Ludhiana, the jathedar claimed that he was implicated in a false case by the NIA and Punjab Police. He asked Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to get his case investigated by a neutral agency. He said Gurjant was shown involved in five targeted killings in the state.

“Under the tutelage of the International Sikh Federation, Gurjant had objected to indecent songs in Punjabi and exposed elements targeting Gurmat ideology on social media,” he said.

The jathedar said he wanted to expose the culprits behind the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargarhi and wrote to the CBI’s SIT to involve him in the investigation.

Similarly, British national Jagtar Singh ‘Jaggi’ Johal and other Punjabi youths were held by the police and subjected to inhuman torture, he claimed.

He called upon the Shiromani Committee, Sikh organisations and Sikh sangat to come forward to provide justice to these Sikh youths. Meanwhile, leaders of splinter Akali groups maintain that the jathedar’s statement was influenced by the SAD. They stated that many matters brought before Akal Takht remained unattended, while some were taken up promptly.

Jarnail Singh Sakhira, SAD (Amritsar) general secretary, said all decisions of the jathedar, including the present one was influenced by the Badals. The Sikh sangat had already rejected Giani Gurbachan Singh after he pardoned Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who had been accused of hurting religious sentiments of the Sikhs by wearing attire similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh.