Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Thursday questioned the functioning of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the Sri Anandpur Sahib sarai issue and sought answers from SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami and Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Addressing a press conference, Pannu said the Punjab government has formed a three-member SIT, headed by Punjab Police officer Gurbans Singh Bains, to investigate the matter. He said the probe will examine how the woman arrived from Bahrain, who facilitated her stay at the SGPC sarai and how she remained there for several months.
Pannu also questioned the SGPC's explanation regarding the ₹1 lakh treatment assistance and discrepancies in the sarai register. He pointed out that the register reportedly mentioned the room as “Recommended by Amarjit Singh Chawla” and “Free”, while the SGPC had claimed it was booked for ₹1,000.
He further questioned why ₹1 lakh was provided to the woman, where the treatment took place and why the cheque was encashed in Amritsar. Pannu also sought clarification over the suspension of a driver, asking why he was suspended if no vehicle had allegedly been provided to the woman.
Pannu questioned the SGPC's demand for a CBI probe, recalling its earlier opposition to CBI involvement during the controversy over 328 missing Saroops.
He said the questions being raised were not aimed at defaming the SGPC, which he described as a revered institution, but at seeking transparency in its management. “These questions will continue and become bigger until answers are provided,” Pannu said.
