Amritsar: In a major development in the case related to the sacred saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib that went missing in 2020, the Punjab Police have arrested one accused. The police have arrested Satinder Singh Kohli, a close associate of senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. His name had surfaced in the case related to the alleged theft of 328 saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, following which an FIR was registered.
Satinder Singh Kohli has also served as the former internal auditor of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). It is being reported that investigating agencies arrested Kohli from Panchkula. Following this action, discussions have intensified in political and Panthic circles.
According to sources, Kohli had been on the radar of investigating agencies for a long time. He is alleged to be involved in serious financial irregularities and suspicious transactions. Preliminary investigations have revealed certain facts, on the basis of which the agencies took him into custody and began questioning him. However, no official statement has yet been issued by any agency regarding the arrest.
Sources further state that Kohli was associated with the SGPC and allegedly received remuneration of up to ₹1 crore annually. In addition, he had worked as a Chartered Accountant (CA) for companies linked to Sukhbir Singh Badal. Investigating agencies are now conducting a detailed probe into these financial links, sources of income, and transactions.
With Sukhbir Singh Badal’s name emerging in this episode, the matter has become even more sensitive. Badal is considered a major figure in Panthic and political circles. The arrest of a person regarded as close to him has shaken political equations in Punjab. Recently, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also made public remarks regarding Kohli, which are now being viewed in connection with this action.
Notably, a First Information Report (FIR) was recently registered at the Kotwali police station in Amritsar, naming 16 accused, including former SGPC chief secretary Roop Singh. Following the arrest, clear unease has been observed among leaders associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal and the SGPC. Some Akali Dal leaders have termed the action political vendetta, while opposition parties maintain that the law is doing its job and that no one is above investigation. The SGPC has consistently described these developments as government interference in religious matters.
During a press conference in December last year, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the SGPC for failing to implement recovery proposals against Kohli and questioned his proximity to Sukhbir Badal, president of the SAD (Badal), which controlled the SGPC at the time.
