M A I N   N E W S

Another case against Bibi
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Dec 11 — Yet another case for recovery of Rs 51 lakh has been filed against Bibi Jagir Kaur, former SPGC President, by an Akali leader, Mr Harbhajan Singh Brar, in the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission.

The judicial commission comprising Mr Manmohan Singh Brar, Chairman and Mr Amrik Singh Randhawa and Mr Ajwant Singh Mann — both members of the commission — have fixed the date for hearing on December 12— the day when the SGPC executive would hold its crucial meeting. The petitioner has also made Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, Secretary and Mr Harjit Singh, Personal Assistant to SGPC chief, respondents in this case.

In his petition, Mr Brar alleged that the SGPC chief, Secretary and her Personal Assistant had made the ‘unauthorised’ payments with effect from October 1, 2000, till the election of the new president. The total amount paid was Rs 16 lakh. “This is the only evidence which the petitioner could collect while more payments were made without any authority”, it reads.

The total sum of payments made to various colleges and other institutes, enlisted in the petition was Rs 35 lakh. The petitioner alleged that the payments were against the spirit of the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 and its bylaws. He said according to the rules of the Gurdwara Act the respondents were competent only to sanction money from the SGPC to the maximum extent of Rs 10,000 without the prior sanction of the SGPC executive.

The petitioner further alleged that the above referred unauthorised payments were made and expenditures were sanctioned by the respondents in ‘haste’, without prior sanction of the executive. These expenditures were sanctioned just to accommodate their favourites in wake of the election of the SGPC President. Thus a heavy burden had been cast upon the institution for which the respondents were personally liable, the petitioner alleged.

“The respondents have committed acts of malfeasance, breach of trust, neglect of duty and abuse of power in the making the above said payments against the spirit and inconsistent with the provisions of the Sikh Gurdwara Act.”

The petitioner pleaded that the need for action arose against the respondents when the above said payments were made in connivance with each other.

The petitioner pleaded that the respondents be ordered to pay Rs 51 lakh, holding them jointly responsible and the amount be recovered along with interest at the rate of 18 per cent per annum which should be credited to the relevant funds to compensate the financial loss caused to the institution because of the illegal and unauthorised acts and deeds of the respondents. He also prayed to the judicial commission that the respondents be ordered to be removed from the membership of the SGPC Board and be debarred from holding any office as employees of the board or the gurdwara. It was also prayed that the SGPC Secretary, Dr Bachan and Mr Harjit Singh, be removed form their posts in the SGPC.