M A I N   N E W S

Focus on Jasdil Mansion 
From Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

PHAGWARA, Oct 7 — While an air of mystery shrouded the whereabouts of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, for the second day today amid rumours that she had been “booked, arrested and interrogated” by officials of the Special Crime Branch of the CBI, the arrest of five persons in her daughter’s death case has shifted the focus to Jasdil Mansion, a palatial bungalow here said to be owned by the Bibi’s family friend and an accused in the case, Ms Dalwinder Kaur.

Kamaljit Singh who claims to be the husband of deceased Harpreet Kaur on whose writ petition the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the CBI to investigate the case, had alleged that Harpreet had undergone physical and mental torture at Jasdil Mansion, where she remained forcibly confined by Ms Dalwinder Kaur and Mr Paramjit Singh Raipur between March 18 and April 8 and later, at the behest of the SGPC chief. He had also alleged that Harpreet was made to undergo an abortion, was tormented and killed in the bungalow. He had also alleged that Mr Paramjit Raipur, Ms Dalwinder Kaur and six servants and aides knew everything about the circumstances under which she had been “killed” and all these people had also been party to the crime. Interestingly, it was here that the Bibi was said to have observed her “Ekantwaas”.

After conducting the preliminary investigation, the CBI authorities had arrested Ms Dalwinder Kaur’s drive and a female servant from the mansion on the afternoon of October 4 while Ms Dalwinder Kaur had been arrested from a New Delhi hotel the same day.

As one enters the Taru Da Wara locality, the 1.5 acre Jasdil Mansion stands apart from other buildings surrounding it owing to its vast size and costly exteriors as also the big replica of the crown of Queen Victoria at the top. The building, closed for visitors these days, said boast of the luxuries of a five-star hotel, with 18 big air-conditioned rooms, a long drive, a lush green lawn with beautiful fish tail palms in the front, servant quarters at one side and adequate lighting and security arrangement.

Some local journalists were allowed entry by Mr Bhag Ram, a servant whose wife Satya has been arrested by the CBI. But he did not allow this correspondent to enter the premises since had “no orders” to do so. He also refused to entertain any query regarding Bibi Jagir Kaur and the Harpreet episode saying,” I don’t know anything about anything.” A Ceilo car and a Tata Safari were in the building.

Interestingly, none of the neighbours was in a mood to share anything about the building and its occupants. Mr Ram Avtaar Paswan, a rickshawallah residing nearby, said it was three years back that the Dalwinder Kaur family had shifted to the Jasdil Mansion, which had taken years to complete.

Mr Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Secretary-General of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal headed by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and other rivals of the Bibi have been demanding a probe into how Mr Paramjit Singh Mr Dalwinder Kaur amassed wealth and acquired such a vast building.

Meanwhile, rumours prevailed about the Bibi’s whereabouts for the second day today. While some said she had got herself admitted in a local hospital, others said she had been questioned by a CBI team at a Punjab Tourism hotel in Kartarpur. Similarly, some said she was busy consulting her lawyers to explore the possibility of seeking anticipatory bail.

However, news about her questioning could not be ascertained, with sources saying that the chairman of a board had stayed in the hotel last night and not Bibi Jagir Kaur. A report from Chandigarh said the CBI authorities had formed six teams, each of which comprises five members, and these teams had fanned out in different parts of the state to locate Bibi Jagir Kaur, who se name had figured in the FIR. The Bibi was not in Kapurthala and Jalandhar district, highly placed police sources said.

Bibi who courts controversies
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Oct 7 — Bibi Jagir Kaur who became the first woman President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, known as the mini-parliament of Sikhs on March 16, would be remembered with many firsts.

In the 76-year-old Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Bibi Jagir Kaur was appointed the first woman President by the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal after replacing Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra who remained chief of the SGPC for 25 years.

The Bibi has humble beginnings. She was a school teacher, before she started taking an interest in the religious field and was elected SGPC member. In a very short span, she was chosen MLA from the Bhulath Assembly constituency and became Minister of Tourism.

However, after becoming SGPC chief, she embroiled herself in controversies. The Sikhs in India and abroad were virtually divided when she hurriedly implemented the controversial Nanakshahi Calendar in the general house meeting of the SGPC. The implementation of the calendar brought Bibi Jagir Kaur and the then Jathedar Akal Takht Giani Puran Singh at the loggerheads. Again, she was the first SGPC President to be ex-communicated from the Sikh Panth on January 25 by a Hukamnama (edict) issued by Giani Puran Singh from Guna in Madhya Pradesh which she did not honour. Ultimately, she succeeded in removing Giani Puran Singh as the Jathedar of Akal Takht. Giani Puran Singh was humiliated to the extent that his official vehicle was withdrawn and he had to take a lift in the vehicle of Sant Mangal Singh to reach home from Akal Takht.

She is also the first SGPC President to observe a two-week long ekantwas in February after her ex-communication.

It was again for the first time that she got many hukamnamas issued by Giani Puran Singh revoked by the newly appointed Jathedar Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, and other Sikh high priests.

It is for the first time that any SGPC chief has been facing charge of the mysterious death of her daughter. As per the Sikh Rehat Maryada, any Sikh who causes the death of his/her daughter stands ex-communicated from the community.

A number of cases have been filed against her in the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission. She was accused of recruiting the maximum number of employees in a short span. The judicial commission has already directed the SGPC to stop the salaries of about 230 staff members. She was also charged with drawing about Rs 10 lakh from the accounts of Darbar Sahib for attending a religious conference at Africa along with her daughters. The case is pending in the commission.

During her presidentship, Bibi Jagir Kaur’s performance is being described as ‘worst’.

Bibi Jagir Kaur “mishandled” the case of formation of the Pakistan Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. She banned the sending of Sikh jathas to Pakistan in protest against the formation of the PGPC. She earned the wrath of a section of Sikhs for imposing a ban on the jathas. She had announced that she would lead a deputation to Pakistan to demand the disbanding of the PGPC, but in vain. She also failed to get the gurdwara Act amended despite tall claims. She also failed to evolve consensus on the authenticity of Dasam Granth.

Bibi Jagir Kaur is reportedly gone underground to escape the questioning of the CBI. The Sikh circles say that she is the first President who has gone underground in this way.