Order investigation into ‘fake encounters': Jathedar to guv
The governor, who visited Anandpur Sahib on Friday, was honoured with a 'siropa' (robe of honour), shawl and a photo of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, by Giani Gargaj, who is also the jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee member (SGPC) member Amarjit Singh Chawla.
The governor, after paying obeisance at the Takht Kesgarh Sahib Gurdwara, met with jathedar Gargaj, who pointed out the growing pattern of alleged police encounters involving suspects, particularly in connection with the murder of Abohar businessman. Giani Gargaj stressed that such incidents had raised questions about the legitimacy of these encounters.
'Several encounters in the past seven months follow a disturbingly similar pattern — suspects allegedly firing at the police during interrogation, leading to their death in retaliation. Punishment should be left to the courts, not the police,' said Gargaj, calling for an immediate end to extrajudicial killings.
The jathedar noted the recent killings of two youths linked to the Abohar murder case, whose families have claimed the encounters were 'fake' and are now seeking justice. Gargaj reiterated that these alleged practices should be curbed to prevent Punjab from turning into a 'police state.'
In response, Kataria listened attentively to the concerns raised by the jathedar and assured that appropriate action would be taken to address the issue, according to a spokesperson.
The Jathedar also took the opportunity to raise other pressing issues affecting the state, including the proposed construction of a paper factory near Chamkaur Sahib. He warned that the factory would pose a significant environmental risk to the sacred site, associated with the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's elder sons.
On a spiritual note, Giani Gargaj highlighted the need for nationwide and global recognition of the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadur, emphasising the Guru's principles of human rights and religious freedom. He called on both the Punjab and central governments to collaborate with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for meaningful commemorations.
The jathedar also urged the governor to support the creation of stricter laws to prevent the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, which holds a unique and living status for Sikhs. He called for special legal protection for the holy scripture and harsher punishment for any acts of disrespect or desecration.
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