Amritsar, March 10: The administration of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has moved to suspend a high-ranking official over the fraudulent disposal of land assets in Mohali. Secretary Partap Singh was placed under suspension after an internal inquiry verified his involvement in the unauthorized registration of 44 marlas of land belonging to Gurdwara Amb Sahib.
The SGPC president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, acted promptly upon receiving the findings of a sub-committee on Monday. The committee was tasked with investigating how the land, located in the high-value IT City area (Sector 101), was sold for a reported sum of Rs 1.32 crore in December last year.
“The decision was taken after the sub-committee submitted its report,” Additional Secretary Shahbaz Singh declared, affirming that the probe confirmed the authenticity of the signatures on the sale documents. The investigation revealed that fake documentation had been used at the Sub-Registrar’s office to facilitate the deal by claiming the land was private property rather than religious endowment.
The scandal has drawn sharp reactions from within the Sikh body and from opposition factions. Giani Harpreet Singh, president of a breakaway Akali faction, had previously accused the SGPC of protecting its senior leadership by initially claiming the signatures were forged.
The SGPC has since restructured its oversight of local gurdwaras to prevent further lapses. Additional Secretary Gurinder Singh Mathrewal has been directed to report directly to the Chief Secretary on matters concerning these shrines. Meanwhile, the police investigation continues against several individuals, including former gurdwara manager Rajinder Singh, who was suspended earlier in the inquiry process.
