SGPC Condemns Police Action at Golden Temple as 'Inappropriate'
Chaotic scenes unfolded at the Golden Temple in Amritsar after plainclothes police officers detained two men from the sacred premises on Friday. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has since labeled the police action as "inappropriate" and raised serious concerns about interference in the management of the holy site.
Incident Details and SGPC's Response
Satwinder Singh and his son Prince were reportedly performing the parikrama at the Darbar Sahib when they were taken into custody by three Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) teams. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed within the temple complex.
Sardar Pratap Singh, SGPC Secretary, issued a statement expressing strong disapproval. "A large number of devotees from across the country and abroad visit Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib daily to pay obeisance. Taking anyone into custody without informing the management is inappropriate and against the sentiments of the devotees," he stated.
The SGPC emphasized that no prior information was provided to them or the managers of Sri Darbar Sahib regarding the police action. "If there was a need to take someone into custody on any charge, contact should have been made with the Shiromani Committee," Sardar Pratap Singh added. He further revealed that an administrative inquiry is currently underway into the police conduct, with a report to be submitted to the executive committee.
Chaos and Detention of Police Officials
Following the detention of the two men, the SGPC task force personnel, responsible for monitoring activities within the Darbar Sahib complex, noticed the commotion. In a surprising turn of events, they detained two CIA officials who had come to collect their shoes, locking them in a room. The officials were later released after senior police officers intervened.
The police have not yet disclosed the reasons for picking up Satwinder Singh and his son. However, sources indicated that the two men were swiftly pushed into a car and taken away from the temple premises.
Police Statements and Clarifications
Surinder Lamba, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Tarn Taran, denied that his team was involved in the incident. "It wasn't our team. It was information about a crime from a CIA team in Fazilka, and they went there based on that information. A local Amritsar CIA team was also with them," he clarified.
SSP Lamba asserted that the police action was coordinated with the SGPC task force, attributing the confusion to a miscommunication. "Any miscommunication with the task force was cleared up there; Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar handled that. There was a miscommunication with the task force, but that has been resolved now; the issue has been resolved," he added.
In contrast, Harmanjit Bal, the station house officer of the E-Division police station in Amritsar, under whose jurisdiction the Golden Temple falls, claimed to have no information about the incident.
Family's Anguish and Background
Lakhbir Kaur, the wife of Satwinder Singh, recounted that she arrived at the Golden Temple with her family around 9:30 AM on Friday. After the women went for a holy dip, they returned to find Satwinder and Prince missing, with their mobile phones switched off.
"When we returned, both father and son had disappeared. Their mobile phones were switched off," she said. The family later discovered that the police had conducted a search at their home in Mohan Ke Hithar village, Ferozepur district, but have not been informed about the reasons for the detention.
Lakhbir Kaur revealed that Satwinder had previously served a sentence in a land dispute case and was released on bail five or six months ago. She vehemently denied any rumors of involvement in illegal activities or links to Pakistan. "We are poor people. My son is studying in Ganganagar. I suffer from a brain tumour and have weak eyesight. We don't know why this is happening to our family," she expressed with distress.
Village sarpanch Gagan confirmed Satwinder's criminal past and the police search at their residence, adding to the family's plight.
