"Sikhs" clash at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib

[JasSinghKhalsa]

Sarna, Manjit Singh booked

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 16

A day after the clash at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib, the Delhi police has registered FIRs against eight persons, including PS Sarna, president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Charanjit Singh Channy, AS Sidhu, Manjit Singh GK, president of the Delhi unit of the SAD (Badal), and his supporters Kuldeep Singh Bhogal, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Taranjit Singh Rana and Chaman Singh.

They have been booked under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (armed with deadly weapons), 149 and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police has started collecting evidence and recording the statements of witnesses. There was ample evidence to book those involved in the clash, including CCTV footage, sources said.

A police officer involved in the investigations, said: “No shots were fired. Swords were brandished but not used. Neither were lathis used. The groups resorted to throwing stone at each other.”

Manjit Singh GK had complained that Sarna had hit him on the head with a kirpan. Activists of the DSGMC task force were seen carrying lathis and swords during the clash yesterday.

Sunil Saxena, Chief Medical Officer, RML Hospital, said “Manjit Singh GK had a skin-deep injury on his head which could have been caused by a blunt object”. The police will also question its own personnel.

[Singh, Mahan]

Jathedar of Akal Takht has formed a three member committee to investigate the incident. (Presumably to investigate if the maryada of the religious place, the Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib, was violated). It is to be expected that the committee will give a report in favour of the Delhi unit of Akali Dal (Badal )

However, at this time the Delhi Police has also started a criminal investigation against some members belonging to both the groups.

The incident is reported to have taken place in what is generally called Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib Complex. However, it took place in the area which does not fall in the boundary that is Gurdwara Sahib. It took place on the grounds of the building that is the headquarters of the DGMC and is owned by DGMC not by the Gurdwara Sahib. Just to compare it with the SGPC head quarters and Golden temple Amritsar; imagine the incident to be taking place in the Jathedar Samundari Hall ( the HQ of SGPC in Amritsar). There have been several fights over the years between the opposing groups in the Samundari Hall. The Akal Takht has stayed out of what happens in the Summundari Hall.

So it would be interesting to see what basis ( or an excuse) the Committee appointed by the Akal Takht uses to investigate the incident that happend in the DGMC HQ, while a criminal case has already been filed by the Delhi Police to investigate the incident (that took place in the building outside the religious jurisdiction of Gurdwara).