Talwandi Sabo, January 3
A confidant of Mr Parkash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister, Mr Balwant Singh Nandgarh, who is a member of the SGPC and resident of Nandgarh village in Bathinda district, was today made Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, the fifth Takht of Sikhs. His installation ceremony will be held on January 6.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that the decision to appoint Mr Nandgarh as Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib was taken at Raikot today by the SGPC chief, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar. The executive committee of the SGPC had already cleared his appointment.

The post of Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib fell vacant after Giani Kewal Singh, who was accused in a dowry death case, resigned from the post under pressure from various Sikh religious and social organisations. Giani Kewal Singh, his son and another relative are facing trial in the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Bathinda, for allegedly killing his daughter-in-law Sharanjit Kaur for dowry.

Though the move to appoint Mr Nandgarh has been on since Giani Kewal Singh resigned, some controversies associated with him and which also appeared in a section of press delayed his appointment. A brother of Mr Nandgarh was accused in a case pertaining to making an attempt to make a farmer blind by putting copper sulphate into his eyes while Mr Nandgarh faced allegations pertaining to getting a criminal case registered against his close relative.

Mr Nandgarh left his village for Raikot in the morning and could not be contacted. His wife Sukhdev Kaur said she had come to know about the appointment of her husband as Jathedar on telephone. She denied the charges levelled against him.

Mr Badungar, when contacted on mobile phone, said Mr Nandgarh had been appointed only after verification that he was not involved in any case.