Shock. Shock. Shock.  44 kilograms of gold is missing from the Takht Hazur Saheb Toshakhana. Gold ornaments, artefacts and antique pieces of donations from the Sikh Sangat weighing 48 kilograms  melted, without due process and authorisation. This reported embezzlement running into millions of rupees thoroughly exposes the Hazur Saheb Takht Prabandhak Committee. The matter reaches Bombay High Court. Sikh religious leadership in Nanded and Punjab maintain stoic silence. Government of Maharashtra fully complicit through acts of omission and commission. Sikh Sangat’s faith shattered. Recognizing that it is time that an era of accountability, transparency, and immediate reforms begins at statutory controlled Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions, WSN editor Jagmohan Singh delves deep into the malaise that afflicts Takht Hazur Saheb affairs and seeks more involvement of the Sikh Sangat worldwide to stop the modern day Mahants who are cheating the Sikh community without fear of God and Guru.

Shattering the faith of the Sikh Sangat, a scandal of enormous proportions has come to light about how an unscrupulous Secretary Ravinder Singh Bungai of the Takht Hazur Saheb Board melted gold donations.  This alarming scandal lays bare the mismanagement, negligence, and outright betrayal by its governing board members and state authorities. Alarmed by these egregious acts, two conscientious petitioners, Ranjeet Singh Gill and Rajendra Singh Pujari, rattled by the disastrous happenings at this holy shrine, have taken the matter to the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench). Their writ petition seeks justice for the Sikh Sangat and accountability for those who dared to defile their sacred donations.

The petition in the Mumbai High Court highlights how a vast quantity of gold and silver ornaments donated by devotees over decades was melted into gold biscuits without proper permissions or oversight. This was allegedly orchestrated by Gurudwara Board member Ravinder Singh Bungai, with the dubious assistance of jeweller Santosh Ramkishan Verma of Sarang Jewellers. Advocate Wasif Shaikh, while speaking to WSN said, “The matter is now listed for 18 December after the court admonished the State for not filing the inquiry report in time. The court order says that this is the last opportunity provided to the state otherwise the Secretary will have to appear in person.”

The matter is now listed for 18 December after the court admonished the State for not filing the inquiry report in time.

Advocate Wasif Shaikh, lawyer for the petitioners

Citing exhaustive documentation over the years, the petition has demanded that the inquiry report be made available to the court and that the accused Ravinder Singh Bungai be restrained from contesting any election to the Gurdwara Board till the inquiry is completed.

Petitioners Rajinder Singh Pujari and Ranjit Singh Gill told the WSN, “We will take this case to its logical conclusion. Our Guru’s house has been looted and we will not stay silent.  We will fight tooth and nail. The perpetrators are roaming free and they should be hauled up before the court of law, Takht Hazur Sahib and Akal Takht Saheb. Nobody should go scot free.”

We will take this case to its logical conclusion. Our Guru’s house has been looted and we will not stay silent.  We will fight tooth and nail.

Rajinder Singh Pujari, Ranjit Singh Gill, Petitioners who have taken the gold melting matter to court

Gold jewellery donated by the Sikh Sangat at Takht Hazur Saheb -one of the five seats of authority of the Sikh faith, was melted by the Secretary of the Gurdwara Board Ravinder Singh Bungai during his term. Forming a bogus committee, then obtaining permission post-facto, he formed a committee to melt the gold in the Toshakhana -Gold Vault at the Takht, took on the mantle himself to do so and entrusted the task to an unverified jeweller. Gold ornaments and other items from 1970 to 2020 were melted into bricks. These were displayed at Takht Hazur Saheb in the presence of Jathedar Takht Hazur Saheb Giani Kulwant Singh.

Sangat’s Wealth Mismanaged, Perpetrators Walk Free

For decades, the Sangat has entrusted the Gurudwara with heartfelt offerings of gold, silver, and precious stones, hoping to see their donations preserved as a testament to faith and service. There are historical artefacts from the times of Maharani Jindan and diamond-studded Chaur Saheb too. However, between October 2020 and May 2022, Ravinder Singh Bungai, an elected member of the Gurdwara Board,  who officiated as secretary, with blatant disregard for the sentiments and rights of the Sikh community, took it upon himself to melt priceless ornaments into gold biscuits. This unilateral decision, cloaked in claims of removing impurities, defies the very ethos of Sikh governance, which prioritizes collective decision-making through the involvement of the Sangat.

Aided by Santosh Ramkishan Verma, the proprietor of Sarang Jewelers, this dubious operation resulted in 31 gold biscuits weighing over 49 kilograms. Shockingly, subsequent investigations revealed that even these biscuits were not of pure gold, raising suspicions of misappropriation and fraud.

The audit reports of the year 2020 mention that the total gold at the time that Ravinder Singh Bungai illegally intervened was to the tune of 94 kg and not 50 kg as being claimed by him and the jeweller.

The Sikh Collective demands a White Paper on the gold melting case. The Sikh Collective is closely monitoring the situation.  This is no trivial matter. Each and every one responsible will be held accountable before the Sikh Sangat, sooner than later.”

Harmeet Singh, Coordinator, The Sikh Collective

Why is the government of Maharashtra always keen to dismiss the elected bodies at Takht Hazur Saheb and replace it with administrators and then do nothing about the irregularities which are cited as cause for dismissal?  It involves millions of rupees. It is beyond imagination that just one corrupt secretary can blatantly open the Toshakhana and melt everything? Over the last seven decades, large chunks of land belonging to Takht Hazur Sahib has been usurped by unscrupulous Sikh leaders and appropriated by the government of Maharashtra under one pretext or the other. Now it is gold? What next? Speaking to WSN, Harmeet Singh of The Sikh Collective has demanded a White Paper on the the gold melting issue from the government of Maharashtra. He said, “The Sikh Collective is closely monitoring the situation.  This is no trivial matter. Each and every one responsible will be held accountable before the Sikh Sangat, sooner than later.”

Takht Hazur Saheb Administration and the Role of Government of Maharashtra: Legacy of Passing the Buck

How blatantly the entire scam was unscrupulously carried out and how the Takht Board authorities and the State conspired through silence can be seen from the following time line:

5 October 2020
Ravinder Singh Bungai writes a letter to the President of the Gurdwara Board suggesting melting of Gold stored in the Toshakhana at Takht Hazur Saheb, as according to him, “this has not been done since 1971.” He promises to have prominent members present while the task is done and also videography of the process.

7 October 2020 -11 October 2020
One elected member Ravinder Singh Bungai, officiating as Secretary of the Takht Board unauthorisedly constitutes a committee to melt gold stored in the Toshakhana from 1970 to 2020 and carries out the task with support from an unverified local jeweller, converting the ornaments into 31 gold biscuits, weighting 49.27 kg. Significantly, as known to WSN, there was no police or state official present, when this was done. Ravinder Singh Bungai claims that videography was done, but it is not in the public domain.

13 June 2021
A meeting of the board was held under the directions of the Board President Bhupinder Singh Manhas. Significantly, ex-post-facto, the meeting under the chairmanship of Bhupinder Singh Manhas and his deputy Gurinder Singh Bawa, unashamedly endorsed the role and action of Ravinder Singh Bungai in melting the gold. The secretary Ravinder Singh Bungai revealed that the gold was melted in the presence of many senior local leaders and the members of the so-called committee formed by him for the purpose. He further claimed that the purity of gold was discussed.  At the intervention of Gurvinder Singh Bawa Vice-President it was decided not to deposit the gold into RBI till its purity is not verified. The opinion of SGPC representative Gobind Singh Longowal was also sought but he did not give a firm reply.

15 Dec 2021
Members of the Sikh Sangat including Bhai Mahinder Singh Langri, Manjeet Singh Langri, Ranjeet Singh Langri, Gurmeet Singh Bedi, Gurpal Singh Khalsa, Harpal Singh Sandhu, Vazir Singh Fauji, Sarbjeet Singh Hotelwale, Sukhpal Singh, Gurdeep Singh Sandhu and Trilok Singh, after prima facie checking of the audit report, wrote a letter to Revenue Minister, Government of Maharashtra seeking the formation of a high-level committee and take appropriate action regarding significant misappropriation observed in the audit report concerning valuable items (gold, diamonds, and items made thereof) donated by devotees at Gurudwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded.

3 May 2022
Minutes of the meeting held of 3 May show that the permission to constitute the committee and melt the said gold was taken at this meeting, months after the gold was melted.

This is only the tip of the ice­berg. The go­ings-on at Takht Hazur Sa­heb have put the Sikh com­mu­nity to shame. Ras­cals, char­la­tans and thugs are man­ag­ing Sikh af­fairs in com­plic­ity with the gov­ern­ment which is hell-bent on de­stroy­ing the in­de­pen­dent char­ac­ter of Sikh re­li­gious in­sti­tu­tions.”

Manjit Singh Karimnagar, social and religious activist

3 May 2022
Petitioners learn of the misdeed and file complaints with the Takht authorities and the government.

20 May 2022
Board constitutes 3-member Committee to look into the case. The said jeweller contends that the 31 gold biscuits are also not in their purest form.

30 May 2022
Shri Ram Yadav Under Secretary, Revenue and Forest Department, Government of Maharashtra issues show cause notice under Section 53(1) of the Gurudwara Board Act, 1956 – Complaints received by the government regarding various irregularities to the President of the Gurdwara Board.

2 June 2022
Bhupinder Singh Manhas, President of the Gurdwara Board replies to the show cause notice citing ill-health and absence from Takht Hazur Saheb, thereby denying knowledge of any wrong-doing.  In his letter he brags more about his humanitarian work rather during Covid, address the issue in question, which he labeled as mischief by miscreants. He schedules a meeting on 30 June in Mumbai.

16 June 2022
Section Officer Mansi Sathe, Government of Maharashtra writes a letter to District Collector Nanded seeking full inquiry into the alleged financial bungling, expenditure without budgeting, loss to the properties of the Board, not holding Board meeting in time, etc.

29 June 2022
Shri Ram Yadav, Under Secretary, Revenue and Forest Department, Government of Maharashtra writes to District Collector, Nanded accepting his report dated 24 June 2022, under the provisions of Sections 53(1) and 53(2)(b) of the Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, dissolving the Board and appointing Dr. P. S. Pasricha as the administrator.

25 August 2022
Dr P. S. Pasricha files a formal confidential report with the Additional Secretary Revenue against Ravinder Singh Bungai regarding melting of gold and other nefarious activities of the Secretary. Dr Pasricha mentions that he had got the gold content examined and verified by two Assistant Superintendents, based on audit reports from 1971-2020. He clearly declares in the letter that the Committee constituted by Ravinder Singh Bungai was ultravires the Act as no prior permission was taken, the District Collector’s office was not informed, none of the Panj Pyaras were present, an unauthorised jeweller was given the task and that only the chairman of the Board had locus standi in such a sensitive matter.  He had asked Shri Nitin Kareer Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Forests, Government of Maharashtra to conduct an exhaustive enquiry.

8 August 2023
The government of Maharashtra acknowledged that there has been no progress in the matter.

18 September 2024
The petitioners Rajinder Singh Pujari, Ranjit Singh Gill, Jaspal Singh Nambardar and Gurmeet Singh Mahajan filed an exhaustive representation before the present Administrator Vijay Satbir Singh regarding the time line of the melting of gold and no steps being taken to address the matter. They had sought a CBI enquiry into the matter and the registration of an FIR against the accused Ravinder Singh Bungai and others involved in the matter.

Social and religious activist Manjit Singh Karimnagar, while speaking to WSN said, “This is only the tip of the iceberg. The goings-on at Takht Hazur Saheb have put the Sikh community to shame. Rascals, charlatans and thugs are managing Sikh affairs in complicity with the government which is hell-bent on destroying the independent character of Sikh religious institutions.” When pressed further as to what would he demand, he said, “The Sikh Sangat demands that a high-level enquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court of India, involving the CBI and ED, who must carry out a full inquiry into the gold donations since 1971 and especially since the year 2000.”  A man known not to mince words, Manjit Singh added, “The Sikh leadership of Punjab has grossly failed in all matters relating to Takht Hazur Saheb. Their connivance with the political leadership at all levels has proved to be detrimental to the cause of religious freedom of the Sikh people.”

Precious Heritage Reduced to Ashes

The scandal highlights a tragic irony. The melted ornaments, many of them antique and embedded with precious stones, were far more valuable as historical and spiritual artifacts. Their preservation would have allowed future generations to witness the legacy of Sikh devotion. Instead, they were reduced to impure gold bricks, their heritage and value diminished irreparably.

This act is not just a financial crime but a spiritual betrayal. Ravinder Singh Bungai and Santosh Ramkishan Verma stand accused of desecrating sacred offerings for personal gain.

Nambardar Jagdeep Singh who has been the knocking the doors of the judiciary for elections to the Takht Hazur Saheb Prabandhak Committee, while speaking to the WSN said, “All these problems can be sorted out if elections are held in time and the state government stops interfering the affairs of the Prabandhak Committee. It is time that Sikhs manage their own affairs. Those who are guilty in the gold melting case must be severely punished as per Sikh traditions.”

A Call to Action: Preserve Sikh Heritage, Punish the Guilty

The Sikh community must not allow this betrayal to fade into bureaucratic oblivion. It is imperative that:

1. The Maharashtra government concludes its inquiry without further delay and holds Bungai and Verma accountable for their actions.
2. Sikh institutions adopt transparent mechanisms to manage donations, with active participation from the Sangat to prevent unilateral decisions.
3. Sacred donations be preserved in their original form, ensuring their historical, cultural, and spiritual value remains intact.
4. A Board of Jathedars and experts must be constituted whose exclusive duty would be to document all historical documents, traditional weaponry and artefacts through photography and videography. They should be placed in the Toshakhana and from time to time, this Board should aware the Sikh Sangat about its safety and existence.

The Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Gurudwara stands as a testament to Sikh devotion and sacrifice. Its sanctity must not be tarnished by corrupt individuals and indifferent administrations. The global Sikh Sangat has a duty to demand justice and ensure that such betrayals never happen again.

This gross loot of the Sikh Treasure trove is emblematic of a larger malaise where unscruplous Sikh leaders, state-appointed administrators treat Sikh institutions as mere bureaucratic responsibilities, devoid of any understanding of their spiritual and cultural significance. Rather than ensuring justice, they pass the buck, leaving the Sangat disillusioned and the Gurudwara’s sanctity and properties in jeopardy.

Advocate Amritpal Singh, who uncovered the corruption in the Akhand Paath case, when a clean chit was given to the culprits – case which he is still contesting, speaking on the phone line to WSN said, “I am not surprised. A serious malaise has developed in our Takhts, including the Takht Hazur Sahib. A complete overhaul is the need of the hour. How and when will this happen, depends upon how much vigilance is maintained by the Sikh Sangat.”

The Sikh community worldwide is appalled by the betrayal of trust and the disregard for their contributions to the Gurudwara.

To wit, everybody is complicit, not just Ravinder Singh Bungai. The then Gurdwara Board President Bhupinder Singh Manhas and Vice-President Gurinder Singh Bawa who ratified the gold melting ex-post-facto demonstrate clear complicity and connivance in the case. In fact, the buzz among the Sikh Sangat is that earlier oral orders were given and subsequently this was ratified.  After taking Ravinder Singh to task, Dr Pasricha did not properly and adequately pursue the matter and therefore he is complicit through negligence. The State of Maharashtra continues to dilly-dally with the inquiry into the matter, but was quick to dismiss the Board and still in the name of enacting a  new law, does not want to hold elections to the Takht Hazur Sahib Prabandhak Committee. The State leadership actively intervening in Takht affairs is equally complicit. What were the auditors doing all along? Are they also complicit?

In the court of the Sikh Sangat, all are guilty. Who will punish them and when, time will tell.