Rs 3.5-crore 'irregularities' to fore at British-era Peer Baba shrine managed by Ropar police

A major financial scandal has come to light at Peer Baba Zinda Shaheed shrine located in the Nurpur Bedi police station in Ropar district. Irregularities worth nearly Rs 3.5 crore have allegedly been detected in the management of donations collected over several years in the shrine, which is managed by the committee headed by the Ropar SSP.

The revelation came after the present management committee, assisted by the district administration, scrutinised bank receipts and deposit records of the Peer Baba Zinda Shaheed Society from 2018 to 2025. The mismatch between receipts issued and the actual deposits made during the period exposed the shortfall, raising questions about the handling of devotee contributions.

AAP MLA from Ropar Dinesh Chadha, when contacted by The Tribune, said that the shrine attracted lakhs of devotees from Punjab and neighbouring states every year, making it one of the most visited religious places in the region. “The faith of devotees is sacred, and their contributions must be safeguarded with full accountability,” Chadha said.

The sources said that the counting of donation money was traditionally carried out in the presence of government officials and committee members, following which the entire amount was deposited in the society’s designated bank account against a receipt. However, when receipts from 2018 onwards were cross-verified with actual deposits, a massive discrepancy amounting to Rs 3.5 crore was allegedly detected, particularly between 2018 and 2020.

Chadha revealed that bank officials were summoned to clarify the issue three days ago. In a subsequent joint meeting between bank representatives and the committee, the discrepancy was reconfirmed, he alleged. The matter has since been brought to the attention of the Deputy Commissioner, who has ordered an investigation to determine the culprits, he said.

The Peer Baba Zinda Shaheed shrine predates the police station, and when the colonial-era police complex was later constructed, the shrine was left intact within its boundary walls owing to the deep reverence it commanded in the region. Over the decades, this unusual coexistence of a religious shrine inside a police station has continued.

Indicating the “involvement of some police officials” (posted in the Nurpur Bedi police station) in the scam, MLA Chadha said that the guilty would not go unpunished.

Ropar SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana, when contacted, said that matter had been brought to his notice recently. The figures are being checked and the matter is being probed, he said.

The current committee managing the shrine has proposed sweeping reforms in the functioning of the society. Measures include publishing regular financial statements, ensuring transparent accounting and proposing that the funds are spent on public welfare projects.

The Peer Baba Zinda Shaheed shrine, considered a symbol of communal harmony, has long been a spiritual hub for people across Punjab and neighbouring states. The exposure of this scam has deeply disturbed devotees, who have been demanding greater transparency in the management of donations.