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Amritsar
Former SGPC chief secretary Harcharan Singh passed away due to cardiac arrest on Saturday morning. He was 75.
Survived by his wife Dalwinder Kaur and daughter Nimrata Kaur, Harcharan Singh suffered a mild heart attack but could not survive it, his nephew said.
The SGPC executive had on August 24 announced to initiate criminal proceedings against him as he along with other officials was held accountable for misappropriation of 328 saroops of Guru Granth Sahib.
He was also summoned at Akal Takht along with the 2016 SGPC’s executive body on September 18 for not performing mourning prayers for the loss of saroops in an accidental fire in May 2016 at Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan in Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib.
A former banker, Harcharan Singh was handpicked in August 27, 2015, by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for the post on contractual basis for three years.
His hefty salary of Rs 3 lakh per month and perks had also courted controversy, which he volunteered to reduce to Rs 1 lakh.
Short of completing a two-year term, he had resigned in July 29, 2017, while terming it as compulsion due to “personal reasons”.
The post was created first in 2003 for veteran Akali leader Manjit Singh Calcutta, but his appointment was struck down by the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission soon after.
This post was specially revived for the second time in SGPC’s history to look after the financial affairs. Ever since he assumed the office, he remained an eyesore for many, both inside and outside the SGPC, apparently due to his inability to handle the “religio-political” affairs in a diplomatic manner.
Despite not being part of any decision-making process but a “conveying authority”, he was held responsible for controversial decisions, including the pardon granted to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in 2015.
Harcharan Singh had also invited the ire of the SGPC after he authored a book, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee di Vartman Stithi, highlighting the alleged shortcomings he experienced during his term with the SGPC. The book was released in Chandigarh in February in the presence of rebel Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.
