Missing 'saroop' row: SGPC ex-chief secretary says his name being dragged unnecessarily

GS Paul

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 5

Breaking his silence for the first time after the issue of misappropriation of ‘saroops’ of Guru Granth Sahib surfaced, SGPC’s former chief secretary Roop Singh has said he was made a scapegoat and his image was being tarnished.

Roop Singh had submitted his resignation on moral and ethical grounds that was accepted instantly by the SGPC’s executive during its meeting on August 27.

The report that was partially made public by the SGPC today had held Singh guilty among the 14 other officials and staff members of publication and allied departments in context of embezzlement of 328 ‘saroops’.

“I felt tortured mentally. It was only after I submitted my resignation on ethical grounds, the voices were being raised against ‘pardhan saheb’ (SGPC president) to follow suit. It was then that he had tried to justify that I was held accountable by the probe panel. If I was among the guilty officials, then why was my resignation accepted? I should have been chargesheeted. Neither did I receive any chargesheet nor any official confirmation about acceptance of my resignation,” he said.

He added that the moot question of the ‘whereabouts’ of ‘saroops’ was still unanswered.

“It was yet to be known who else and on whose behest the saroops were sent and where were these sent,” he said.

Roop Singh said though he had resigned from the post but he was ready to cooperate in any kind of inquiry. He also questioned that if he was held guilty of not maintaining records, what was the point of spending crores on accountants and audit firms for keeping records.

“An office note that speaks about 80 saroops getting damaged in May 2016 fire incident was deliberately leaked because it had got my signatures. The truth was that this office note was written by assistant supervisor Kanwaljit Singh only and I had just forwarded it to my subordinate to take next necessary action. How could I be responsible for it,” he said.

Reacting over it, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said the probe report clearly indicated Roop Singh’s name among the responsible persons. However, he said the SGPC executive in its meeting today withdrew the move to initiate criminal proceedings and that the guilty officials would be punished by the SGPC only as per norms.

“I had mentioned his name as the probe panel had held him guilty and lenient in getting the records of saroops maintained. Since no criminal proceedings would be taken now, SGPC, being the apex body, would decide the punishment on its own. Since he has already quit, he might enjoy the immunity of any official action from our side,” he said.