Take stern action for missing copies of Guru Granth Sahib: Akal Takht to SGPC

After a marathon meeting of five Sikh head priests in Amritsar, Akal Takht 'jathedar' Giani Harpreet Singh said a total 328 copies of Guru Granth Sahib were found to be missing from 2013 till 2015 after thorough checking of ledgers that keep record of sale of the copies of the holy book. The head priest said it happened allegedly in connivance with the staff working at the press of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

The Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, asked the SGPC on Monday to take stern action against its officials for the missing copies of the Guru Granth Sahib. After a marathon meeting of five Sikh head priests in Amritsar, Akal Takht 'jathedar' Giani Harpreet Singh said a total 328 copies of Guru Granth Sahib were found to be missing from 2013 till 2015 after thorough checking of ledgers that keep record of sale of the copies of the holy book.

The head priest said it happened allegedly in connivance with the staff working at the press of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). He also pointed out that pages of the ledgers were found to be tampered with, showing "gross negligence". Moreover, no audit was carried out during these years as the SGPC staff was allegedly involved in it. Many copies of the Guru Granth Sahib were sold out without issuing bills in a clandestine manner, Singh said.

He directed the SGPC to convene a meeting of its executive committee within a week to take stern action against "guilty" officials. Singh has also asked the Sikh community for the social boycott of Sikh preacher Ranjit Dhadrianwale for allegedly distorting the religious and historical facts.

He said the boycott of Dhadrianwale would continue unless he appears at the Akal Takht for clarification and seeks clemency. PTI JMS CHS VSD HMB.