Author – Hardeep Singh

CHANDIGARH The recent developments materialized in cases of 2015 Bargari sacrilege episode which left a deep wounds on the Sikh psyche after 1984 army attack on Sri Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht and Sikh Genocide, has again brought this issue in spotlight in religious-political arena of Punjab. These developments have further shattered the hope for justice to the Sikhs in the Indian judicial system. 

The revelation recently made by Former Sikh IPS officer Ranbir Singh about the cases of Bargari sacrilege has brought the role of AAP government of Punjab and Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) under questions. Ironically, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) which is also controlled by Badals, could also not meet expectations of the community, as per the revelations. 

Khatra called on Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on July 17 in Amritsar. During the meeting, he made the jathedar aware of such facts about these cases, which had not come in public domain before. The Times of India (TOI) published a report in this regard. 

The TOI quoted Khatra as saying, “I told the jathedar that trial in the all three cases pertaining to Bargari sacrilege –theft of Bir of Guru Granth Sahib from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village’s gurdwara on June 1, 2015; pasting of provocative and abusive posters challenging Sikhs on Sept 25, 2015; and pages of the Bir being found scattered in streets of village Bargari on Oct 12, 2015 –were stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in March, but Punjab govt did not file appeals in the Supreme Court or before the double bench of the high court within the stipulated three-month time. Now, it would take a few years for even the trials to restart, if at all it happens. There will be no closure in these for years”. 

“I told the jathedar that the Punjab govt also did not give sanction for prosecuting Sirsa dera head in the cases in which he was already named in two years, and now these have been stayed”, he says. 

Dera Sirsa’s notorious head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who deeply hurt the Sikh sentiments by committing a blasphemy in 2007 by imitating 10^th Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh, is guilty of rape with women and murders. He is serving life imprisonment in a jail of Haryana. Despite being in jail, he is managing the governments and courts to evade the action against him in sacrilege cases. 

Khatra further says, “In the Bir theft case, an SGPC employee was the complainant, but SGPC did not file an appeal. “After such lapses on the part of the Punjab govt, SAD (Badal) and SGPC also did not speak up, even when they call themselves custodians of Panthic interests”. 

In the TOI story, Khatra reveals, “Another key accused in these cases, Pardeep Kler, made important disclosures, naming Sirsa dera head and his socially adopted daughter Honey Preet for hatching a conspiracy, in his statement recorded before a magistrate, but no action is visible. My SIT had already named dera head in Malke sacrilege case in which conviction have happened”. 

Khatra revealed that he also urged the jathedar to question SGPC and SAD leadership if they recognized his investigation. “In Dec last, when Sukhbir Singh Badal apologized for sacrilege incidents during SAD regime, he said that after the SAD would come to power, real culprits would be tracked down and thrown in jails. Now he should tell if he does not consider Sirsa dera followers the real culprits, even as convictions have happened in Malke sacrilege case. SGPC also needs to answer these questions”, he said. 

“In 2019, when Punjab and Haryana High Court allowed transfer back of the sacrilege cases from CBI to Punjab Police, still CBI gave closure report in a court. We contested that report. However, SGPC’s counsel filed an affidavit, stating that the case should not be shifted from CBI to SIT. Now they should tell the Sikh community if they agree with the CBI’s closure report?” he said. 

Badals (Sukhbir Badal and his father late Parkash Badal) whose role in the sacrilege episode is already under scanner since 2015, are silent on these disclosures. Many facts about their role are already in the public domain. 

Not taking action against the Dera head and his daughter even after the statement of accused Pradeep Kler and not filing appeals in the Supreme Court or before the double bench of the high court within the stipulated three-month time are two new facts that have exposed the objectionable role of Bhagwant Mann-led government. 

Upset over Khatra’s meeting with Akal Takht jathedar, this government has summoned the former IPS officer for questioning in connection to one of these cases. As per community members, the state government is trying to divert attention of the public from this issue that has sent it into quandary. 

Behbal Kalan firing case transferred to Chandigarh, next is Kotkapura firing case’s turn

Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura Police firing incidents that killed two Sikhs seeking the justice during peaceful demonstration during Badal government and injured several, are two important happenings post sacrilege. Sacrilege and these incidents created unrest and uprising in Punjab and pushed the Badal government on the back foot. Orders of this firing were allegedly issued by the then Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and DGP Sumedh Saini, a notorious Police officer who is accused of massacring Sikh youths in fake encounters during Sikh movement.

Bad news pertaining to these cases is that Punjab and Haryana high court had already transferred the Behbal Kalan case trial from Faridkot to Chandigarh on the plea of one of the accused, then Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma who had in 2019 sought so on security grounds, and now the Kotkapura firing case too is likely to be transferred to the union territory. This is a big relief for the perpetrators of the sacrilege, which remained the main burning issue in politics of Punjab for the past 10 years. 

During a hearing on Friday (July 19), the court of Faridkot additional sessions judge Ram Kumar Singla sent a reference to the sessions judge, seeking clarification on the trial of the Kotkapura case as a ruling of the Punjab and Haryana high court in August 2022 had directed the trial court to proceed with both the cases simultaneously. Following this, the trial court even kept the proceedings related to the Behbal Kalan firing case on hold, waiting for the SIT probing the Kotkapura firing case to file a chargesheet, reported Hindustan Time, an English Daily. 

Sikhs are already waiting for the justice in cases of November 1984 Sikh Genocide carried out by the goons of the then Indian Government after assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi. Now, hopes for justice in sacrilege cases are also very dim, despite first Congress and then AAP promised to deliver justice in 2017 and 2022 assembly elections. Wounds of the Sikhs continue to be unhealed.