Amritsar: Akal Takht excommunicated Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Amarjit Singh Chawla, along with suspended additional head granthi Malkit Singh, from the Khalsa Panth on Sunday.

The decision followed an FIR registered on August 21 in which a Bahrain-based woman from Sangrur accused Chawla of raping her at a serai in Anandpur Sahib. The complainant also accused Malkit Singh and an SGPC driver of sending her vulgar messages.

Delivering the decree after a meeting of the Panj Singh Sahiban led by acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, the Sikh clergy stated that the allegations severely hurt community sentiments and compromised the dignity of Sikh institutions.

The decree directs the Sikh community to sever all ties with both individuals and bars them for life from holding positions in Sikh institutions.

Chawla will remain expelled unless he proves his innocence and appears before Akal Takht.

The clergy meeting included Harmandar Sahib granthi Giani Kewal Singh, Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Tek Singh, Akal Takht granthi Giani Gurbakhsheesh Singh, and Bhai Mangal Singh.

The FIR was registered under Sections 64 (rape), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Although registered in August, details surfaced only recently, after which Chawla reportedly fled to Canada. He resigned from his SGPC and SAD posts, calling the allegations a deep-rooted conspiracy.

Surjit Singh is a correspondent. He covers politics and agriculture, besides religious affairs and Indo-Pak border in Amritsar and Tarn Taran.