SGPC moves HC to prosecute lawyer who made ‘false’ statement on Sehajdharis

The application,filed by the SGPC,demands initiation of criminal proceedings against Harbhagwan Singh and his alleged co-conspirators for providing false evidence and criminal conspiracy. The SGPC has claimed that Harbhagwan Singh had never represented the Central government in any of the writ petitions in the matter prior to September 1,when the full bench on Harbhagwan’s statement had rendered the petitions infructuous.

The application claims that even on September 1,no authority letter or document was placed before the full bench to show he was authorised and instructed or briefed to appear on behalf of the Centre and to make any such statement.

The application stated: “It was apparent that Harbhagwan Singh deliberately made a false and wrong statement. In the process,he not only misled the high court,but also outraged the religious sentiments of the whole Sikh community across the world,particularly the SGPC,the Sant Samaj,all religious institutions of Sikhs and the Jathedars of all the five Takhts. The deliberate false statement was made with an oblique motive and was a result of very deep-rooted conspiracy of high-ups of political parties,whose sole aim was to stall the SGPC elections scheduled to be held on September 18 by adopting illegal means,as 10 candidates have already been elected unopposed.” Also,the SGPC has sought probe by a judicial officer or independent agency.

In its reply to an application for recalling the high court order disposing of as infructuous the petition seeking voting rights for Sehajdhari Sikhs,the SGPC has asserted that the statement of the senior counsel amounted to interference in the administration of justice.

The reply filed through counsel Gurminder Singh stated that the act of making a false statement,knowing well that he had no authority to make any statement on the issue,amounts to contempt.

Nothing wrong in recommending lawyer to defend case: Amarindar

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday said that there was nothing wrong in recommending a lawyer to defend Sahajdharis and other Sikhs in the court of law. He also declared that the state Congress will launch a mass campaign against corruption from September 15. Addressing the media,Amarinder said,“If anybody from among the Sehajdharis would have come to me for support and assistance,I would have provided them with two lawyers instead of one,as their case is genuine and justified. However,the main issue,which is quite intriguing,is to find out who called up Harbhagwan when he was in the court and gave him certain information that turned out to be wrong,” he said. “There was a strong probability that the Akalis were behind this controversy,so that the SGPC issue comes into the limelight and only a high-level impartial probe will expose the truth,” he added.