PATIALA – In a shocking development at Punjabi University, the Patiala police have registered a case against the Vice-Chancellor and other top officials following allegations that they attempted to bury and destroy copies of the revered ‘Mahan Kosh’. The incident, which has led to widespread condemnation, was discovered by protesting students on Thursday.
The Urban Estate police station has filed a formal complaint against Punjabi University VC Jagdeep Singh, Dean (Academics) Jaswinder Singh Brar, Registrar Devinder Singh, in-charge of the publication bureau Harjinderpal Singh Kalra, and several unidentified individuals. The accused have been booked under Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which prohibits actions that insult the religion of any community. This offense carries a potential sentence of two years in jail, a fine, or both.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint by student leaders Manwinder Singh, Nirmaljeet Singh, Yadvinder Singh, and others. The students became outraged after finding large pits at the university campus filled with water and what appeared to be copies of the ‘Mahan Kosh,’ suggesting an attempt to destroy them. The protest by student organizations, which began on Thursday, escalated and has since created a tense atmosphere on the campus.
The incident is particularly sensitive as the ‘Mahan Kosh’, compiled by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha in 1930, is considered an encyclopedia of Sikh literature and contains sacred ‘Gurshabads’ from the Guru Granth Sahib. Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan had previously instructed the university to correct mistakes in its recent editions and reprint a revised version.
Responding to the controversy, the officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, has taken a strong stance. He announced the formation of a probe committee to investigate the matter and submit a detailed report to Akal Takht within a week. The Jathedar also directed the university administration to conduct an Akhand Path and ‘ardas’ (Sikh prayer) at the campus gurdwara to seek forgiveness for the alleged disrespect shown to the sacred text. The committee will also review the condition of the university’s Dr Ganda Singh Punjabi Reference Library and its preservation practices for rare Sikh literature. No arrests have been made as of now, and the police investigation is ongoing