Bibi Jagir Kaur
Bibi Jagir Kaur a legislator of the Shiromani Akali Dal ("SAD") was, on Thursday 23 September 2004, re-elected president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, the top Sikh religious organisation in India. despite the fact that four years earlier when her term ended when Gurcharan Singh Tohra was reappointed by Parkash Singh Badal, after she had become embroiled in a controversy over her daughter Harpreet Kaur’s mysterious death.
History
Kaur, who was elected unopposed, is an MLA from Bolath in Kapurthala district of Punjab, was the first woman to be elected as president of the SGPC (March 1999), after Parkash Singh Badal had removed Gurcharan Singh Tohra as SGPC chief on March 16, 1999, a few days before the commencement of tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib.
Kaur's candidature was proposed by senior SAD leader Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and seconded by Harshwinder Singh during SGPC's annual presidential election on the Golden Temple premises. The post of SGPC chief was lying vacant since March 31, 2004 after the death of Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
The other members who were elected unopposed were Gurpal Singh Gora (senior vice-president), Kewal Singh Badal (junior vice-president) and Sukhdev Singh Bhaur (general secretary).
Various accusations
Since she lost the political post many accusations have been made against her in the newspapers. It is not known how true these are as none of them have been tried in court. Some of the accusations made are list below (Sikhiwiki has no proof either way on any of these issues and these are quotes from other sources):
It has been suggested that "One should not call her a Sikh as she has committed many mistakes against the Sikh religion. During the elections of 2012, she was involved of trying to sell alcohol to the people of Punjab for votes for Akali Dal party". However, it is to be noted that many other political figures have also been accused of similar infringements.
More importantly, it has been suggested that "All the congregation money from historic Gurdwaras of Anandpur Sahib, Amritsar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Muktsar Sahib, Tarn Taran Sahib was all given by her to Prakash Singh Badal."
"It would also be better for her to step off, as she has not done anything that is beneficial for the Sikhs of Punjab. Many Sikh children in Punjab, have to pay a large fee, but she decided that the Sikh children of rich traitors, and BJP party were let of from paying the fee. "
She is also accused of being "a Killer, and not a devout Sikh, but Badals puppet".
- The case is still pending in the courts.
In the news
The Hindu
CHANDIGARH, SEPT. 23, 2004. Bibi Jagir Kaur today set a record of sorts when she became the first woman to be elected for the second time as the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) that manages the historic Sikh shrines and some educational institutions in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Ms. Kaur is the first chief of the newly-constituted house, elections for which were held in July. Her name was proposed by the senior Akali leader, Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, and seconded by another SGPC member, Harswinder Singh. There were no other contenders.
She had held the same post from March 1999 to November 2000, when her name figured in the controversy surrounding the death of her daughter, Harpreet Kaur. Ms. Kaur is facing trial for this before the CBI's special court in Patiala.
The post had been vacant since the death of the Akali stalwart, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who served for 26 terms. He died in March after a brief illness. .....Continue reading here
Former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur, booked in liquor recovery case
- Former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur, kin booked in liquor recovery case TNN Jan 14, 2012, 02.06PM IST
Bholath (Kapurthala): Former SGPC Chief and SAD candidate from Bholath, Bibi Jagir Kaur, her daughter and son in law along with three others have been booked for allegedly attempting to bribe voters; violating prohibitory orders after a cargo vehicle carrying cartons of whisky were recovered from village Talwandi Kooka of the constituency. However Bibi has denied the allegations saying that she had nothing to do with it.
Later police counted 183 cartons of First Choice - a cheap brand of whisky. While the vehicle was found outside a liquor shop and the contractor claimed that they were transferring their own stocks from one place to another but Excise department officials have confirmed to TOI that no pass or permit was found in the vehicle as mandated by the Excise Act. .....Continue reading here
The case of a mother and daughter
- The case of a mother and daughter Volume 17 - Issue 22, Oct. 28 - Nov. 10, 2000 India's National Magazine from the publishers of THE HINDU. The CBI investigation into the death under suspicious circumstances of SGPC president Jagir Kaur's daughter holds some dire pointers. By PRAVEEN SWAMI in Chandigarh.
FOR the daughter of one of Punjab's most important political and religious figures, Harpreet Kaur had a curiously unceremonious cremation. Kaur's mother, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur, chose to have her daughter 's funeral pyre lit before the scheduled time of 11-30 a.m. Very few mourners had reached Jagir Kaur's home village of Begowal when the cremation began, minutes after the arrival of Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, one of Jagir Kaur's closest p olitical associates. Harpreet Kaur's ashes were immersed in similar haste. Rather than waiting a day, as conservative Sikh custom mandates, Jagir Kaur dispatched the last remains of her daughter immediately.
Six months after the April 21 cremation, the reasons for the hurry to obliterate the young woman's last physical traces are becoming clear. On October 4 and 5, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi and Paramjit Singh Rai pur, a Phagwara-based couple, on charges of forcing Harpreet Kaur to have an abortion against her will, conspiring to murder the young woman, culpable homicide and destruction of evidence. The couple's driver, Harminder Singh, and their domestic helpers, Satya Kumari and Sanjeev Kumar, were also arrested on similar charges. There is no doubt where the CBI is heading, for the first information report (FIR) lists the SGPC president herself as the principal accused in the case of her own daughter's murder. Kaur has been claiming to be the victim of a political plot. .....Continue reading here
Jagir Kaur In Prison
Senior Punjab minister Jagir Kaur was on Friday held guilty by a Patiala court of conspiracy in the death of her own daughter in April 2000 and sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment. However, the court dropped murder charges against her.
Jagir Kaur, minister for rural water supply and sanitation and defence services, was convicted by the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Patiala, 80km from Punjab capital Chandigarh. The lone woman in the Badal cabinet is a former president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
She has been held guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code -- Section 120-B (conspiracy), 313 (causing miscarriage without woman’s consent), 344 (wrongful confinement for 10 days or more) and 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent of secretly and wrongfully to confine person).
However, the court dropped the charges of murder (Section 302) against Jagir Kaur and other who had been accused by the CBI.
Three others - Dalwinder Dhesi, Paramjit Singh and Nishan Singh - have absolved of murder but convicted in the murder conspiracy.
Jagir Kaur's daughter Harpreet Kaur had died under mysterious circumstances April 20, 2000, following which she was cremated hastily by the family members.
Harpreet had angered her mother and other family members by secretly marrying a youth, Kamaljit Singh, who belonged to a lower caste.
Jagir Kaur was inducted as a cabinet minister March 14.
See also
- See Wikipedia article on Bibi Jagir Kaur for more information
