The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe into the incidents of indecency in the villages of Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari in the Faridkot district of Punjab in 2015 has termed the Dera Sirsa chief and several other Dera supporters as alleged conspirators for these incidents.

The SIT’s 467-page final report on the Bargari indecency case has blamed Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa for the incidents. Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is lodged in jail, has also been named the alleged conspirator.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday (2nd July) handed over the final report of Punjab Police on cases of indecency to Sikh leaders here. Chief Inspector General of SIT SPS Parmar said that the report was being made public for the first time as it had been carefully analyzed and approved by the DGP of Punjab.

What a complete case of indecency?

On June 1, 2015, the Saroop of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from Gurdwara Sahib at village Burj Jawahar Singh Wala in Kotkapura. On October 12, 2015, the pages of Guru Granth Sahib were found in Bargari village.

The surprising aspect of the case was that regular handwritten posters were put up before the incident. The main accused in the case was identified as Mohinder Singh Bittu. In June 2018, Bittu, a supporter of Dera Sacha Sauda, ​​was booked by the police for insulting the religious sentiments of Sikhs.

Mohinder Singh Bittu, 49, was attacked by two inmates at Nabha Jail, after which Bittu died.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, head of Dera Sacha Sauda, ​​was nominated by the SIT in July 2020. This was a significant turning point in the case of the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib at village Burj Jawahar Singh Wala in Faridkot.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case had named Gurmeet Ram Rahim, head of Dera Sacha Sauda, ​​as the accused in the Faridkot Judicial Magistrate’s Court.

The then Chief of Special Investigation Team and DIG of Punjab Police Ranbir Singh Khatra had told the media that the investigation and the statements of some of the accused had revealed the case of Saroop of Guru Granth Sahib stolen from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala 2015 in Faridkot. This was done on the advice of the Dera chief.

The Dera chief has also been accused of carrying out the conspiracy on the orders of the Dera central executive by a block committee.

According to HT correspondent Surinder Mann, a total of 11 accused, including Rahim, were arrested in the case, of whom six have been arrested, three are absconding and one Mohinder Bittu has died in jail.

DIG Ranbir Singh Khatra, who was leading the probe team, had said at the time that a regular challan had been filed in the court.

A look at the whole chronology of the indecency case

June 1, 2015: Bir of Guru Granth Sahib goes missing from village Burj Jawahar Singh Wala of village Kotkapura.

October 12, 2015: Guru Granth Sahib parts found in Bargari village.

October 14, 2015: Demonstration by Sikhs in Kotkapura over the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and arrest of accused, who was lathi-charged by police.

On the same day, two Sikh youths Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh were shot dead by the police in a clash between the Sikhs and the police at Behbal Kalan.

October 18, 2015: SIT was formed by SAD-BJP government under the leadership of Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, ADGP, Punjab Police. The police claimed to have solved the entire case but the claims of the police were questioned.

October 24, 2015: The then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini was removed by the Punjab Government and the Retired Justice Zora Singh Commission was constituted.

October 26, 2015: The then Punjab government handed over to CBI the investigation into the theft of Guru Granth Sahib images, posters and Guru Granth Sahib pages found in Bargari.

June 30, 2016: Justice Zora Singh Commission submits a report to the government, but the government does not act on the commission’s recommendations.

April 14, 2017: The Amarinder Singh government constituted a commission headed by retired Justice Ranjit Singh to look into the cases of indecency.

On June 30, 2018, Justice Ranjit Singh submitted a report on cases of indecency to the government.

June 30, 2018: Amarinder Singh’s government hands over Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura’s police action to CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation).

August 28, 2018: Debate on the report of Justice Ranjit Singh Commission in Punjab Vidhan Sabha and boycott of debate by Akali Dal. A resolution was passed in the Assembly to withdraw the case from the CBI for investigation.

September 10, 2018: Punjab Government forms SIT headed by ADGP Prabodh Kumar to probe Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police action.

The SIT summoned Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal and actor Akshay Kumar for questioning in connection with the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari, Behibal Kalan and police firing in Kotkapura. According to the summons, “Those who have been summoned in the Bargari indecency case, Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing probe must be present.” They are expected to provide whatever information they have regarding these incidents.“

What incident happened in 2015 sacrilege cases?

The issue of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib has been a hot topic in Punjab since the events of October 2015.

Following the incident of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala in Faridkot in October 2015, we are mentioning 5 major incidents including alleged desecration at Singhu Border.

After the incident of disrespect in 2015, the police board against justice had two deaths and many people were injured.

These cases, known as Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura Golikand, have sidelined all issues related to the 2017 Assembly elections.

Before we talk about these incidents, let us know the incidents of indecency that have taken place in the last 6 years which have been the subject of discussion from time to time.

Bargadi Disrespect and Behbal kalan-Kotkapura Golikand

On June 1, 2015 , the Bir of Guru Granth Sahib went missing from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village of Kotkapura.

On September 25, 2015, foul language was used by putting up posters near Gurdwara Sahib in Bargari. The posters claimed Dera Sirsa’s hand in the stolen images and openly challenged Sikh institutions.

October 12, 2015 – Guru Granth Sahib parts were found in Bargari village, Faridkot.

October 14, 2015 – Sikh groups protest in Kotkapura over the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the arrest of culprits. Meanwhile, the police took place on the people to engage the protesters.

On the same day, two Sikh youths, Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh, were shot dead by police in a clash between Sikhs and police at Behbal Kalan.

How many people were arrested in the indecency case?

The SIT had nominated 12 persons, including Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim as the main accused, and 11 accused were arrested. One of them is Mohinder Bittu of Kotkapura who was killed in Nabha Jail and one accused is a fugitive.

What Final Investigation SIT report on the Bargari indecency case?

An SIT investigating the case of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Bargari, which caused an earthquake in Punjab politics about seven years ago. Has submitted its final report. After a lengthy investigation, the probe team concluded that the incidents of indecency were planned by Dera Sirsa chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and carried out by the Dera and the people associated with the Dera. 

These incidents were carried out by Dera Sirsa chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim to avenge the humiliation, in which the release of one of Gurmeet’s films was also stopped (MSG-2).

The issue is constantly being raised under a political conspiracy. The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders were targeting the Shiromani Akali Dal in cases of indecency. 

He shared the final report with the representatives of Sikh organizations including Major Singh Pandori and Chamkaur Singh and gave them a copy of the report. 

This report was submitted to the SIT. The CBI had earlier handed over the case to the Bureau of Investigation Wing of Punjab Police, after which it was forwarded to the Chief Minister.

According to sources, Bargadi, Burj Jawaharwala and another case related to indecency was first investigated by the Punjab Police in 2015, after which it was handed over to the CBI by the then government. The CBI Capt. Amarinder Singh’s government has filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking CBI probe into the case. 

The investigation of the said cases was withdrawn from the CBI and the relevant documents were also recovered. In September 2018, IG. SPS SIT was formed under Parmar’s leadership.

All these cases were investigated by the CBI and a dozen accused were arrested and named. In the same cases, Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who is lodged in Sunaria Jail in a serious cases like murder and rape, was also questioned and named in the case.

The report said that the entire conspiracy of indecency was hatched by the people associated with Dera Sirsa with the permission of the Dera Pramukh. A major reason behind it was revenge for the insult done to the Dera Pramukh by a Sikh preacher. 

One of the reasons given was that the Dera chief’s film was barred from being released in Punjab. FIR Not only Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was indicted in connection with Nos. 63/2015, 117/2015 and 128/2015, but also Harsh Dhuri, Pradeep Claire and Sandeep Bareta, members of the Dera National Committee, as key conspirators in these cases. 

While in these cases Sukhjinder Singh Sunny, Shakti Singh, Baljit Singh, Randeep Singh, Ranjit Singh Bhola, Nishan Singh, Narendra Sharma and Pradeep Singh have also been charged. 

In the same case, accused Mohinder Pal Bittu was killed by Sikh youths inside Nabha Jail.