The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar-Surjit) on Thursday questioned SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami’s demand for a CBI inquiry into the rape case registered against SGPC member Amarjit Singh Chawla.
She accused him of raping her at a local serai (inn). The FIR against Chawla was registered on August 21 at Anandpur Sahib on the complaint of a Bahrain-based woman from Sangrur. Dhandra and Kandhola questioned the rationale for seeking a central agency investigation, referring to the controversy over 328 missing saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib. They called for an independent three-member committee to examine these issues, including the alleged payment of ₹ 1 lakh from SGPC funds.
Addressing a press conference, AAP’s Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu said instead of seeking an inquiry by another agency, Dhami should answer the basic questions surrounding the woman’s stay at an SGPC-run serai in Anandpur Sahib and provide the Punjab Police with all available records. On Wednesday, Dhami demanded that the Punjab government hand over the probe to the CBI for an “impartial investigation”. Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar-Surjit) general secretaries Bharpur Singh Dhandra and Harbans Singh Kandhola said a CBI probe could lead to greater government intervention in the affairs of the Sikh religious body. The two leaders said the rape case raised questions about arrangements made for the woman at an SGPC-run sarai, including accommodation, transport and alleged financial assistance.
They alleged that the SGPC leadership had earlier opposed government involvement in that matter, and asked why a CBI probe was now being sought.
