CHANDIGARH। : A delegation of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjeet) has met Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and sought the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct an impartial inquiry into the FIR registered against Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Amarjit Singh Chawla and the events surrounding the case at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
The delegation, led by senior party vice-president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister seeking a high-level investigation under the supervision of a senior officer. It demanded that the proposed SIT complete its inquiry within 15 days and take action against anyone found responsible in accordance with the law.
The party said the allegations surrounding the case had raised several questions that, in its view, required investigation rather than speculation. It urged the government to establish the sequence of events involving a woman who had travelled from Bahrain to Punjab and subsequently stayed at a facility managed by the SGPC at Anandpur Sahib.
Among the issues raised by the delegation was the woman’s travel to India. The delegation asked the proposed SIT to determine who arranged and paid for the air tickets for the woman and her daughter-in-law and under what circumstances they travelled from Bahrain to India.
It also sought an investigation into the woman’s reported arrest after arriving at Delhi airport in connection with a fraud case and her subsequent detention at Nabha jail. The delegation alleged that she may have received preferential treatment while in custody and asked investigators to establish whether she met former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia during the period when both were reportedly lodged in the same jail.
The delegation further asked investigators to establish how the woman was subsequently taken to Bhai Bachittar Singh Niwas at Anandpur Sahib, who arranged her accommodation, which vehicle was used to transport her and which individuals remained in contact with her.
Several allegations circulating in the media were also cited in the memorandum. The delegation alleged that Shiromani Youth Akali Dal (Badal) president Sarvjit Singh Jhinjer may have helped arrange the woman’s travel and release and facilitated contact with Akali leader Virsa Singh Valtoha. The delegation stressed that the veracity of these claims should be established through an independent investigation.
The memorandum also referred to allegations made by the woman concerning Giani Malkit Singh, Additional Head Granthi at Sri Akal Takht Sahib, as well as individuals identified as Mohan Singh and Major Singh Kaveeshar. The delegation said claims concerning alleged inappropriate conversations and exchange of objectionable messages should be examined as part of the proposed investigation.
The SAD (Punar Surjeet) delegation also questioned why the woman was accommodated under the management of the SGPC and sought details of whom she met during the approximately eight months she was allegedly in Punjab.
It called for officials and employees associated with Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib to be questioned, including the manager and sewadars who were on duty during the relevant period. The delegation said investigators should establish who was responsible for arrangements made during the woman’s stay and whether established procedures were followed.
Another issue raised by the delegation concerned Amarjit Singh Chawla’s departure from India after registration of the FIR. It demanded an inquiry into the circumstances in which he allegedly travelled abroad and whether anyone assisted him in leaving the country after the case was registered.
The delegation said the allegations had caused concern within sections of the Sikh community because they relate to Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib, a site of major religious significance and associated with the birth of the Khalsa.
It argued that an impartial investigation was necessary not only to determine whether the allegations were true but also to establish the sequence of events and fix responsibility, if any, on individuals found to have violated the law or institutional procedures.
The delegation appealed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to constitute the proposed SIT under the supervision of a senior and impartial officer and ensure that the investigation is completed within the requested 15-day period.
The allegations mentioned by the delegation have not been independently established in the material provided. Any conclusions regarding criminal responsibility would depend on the police investigation, available evidence and the outcome of due legal proceedings.