New Delhi: The chief of a revered Gurdwara in Uttarakhand was on March 28 shot dead within the premises of the shrine by two bike-borne assailants. The murder of Baba Tarsem Singh, the dera karseva chief of Nanakmatta Gurdwara in Udham Singh Nagar, has triggered widespread outrage within the Sikh community.
The Uttarakhand police has formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident, which took place early morning when Singh was seated on a chair, alone, in the compound of the dera. The murder was caught on CCTV and police said they have a clear description of the two assailants.
While the police are investigating the motive behind the murder, local reports said Singh had in February in a social media post expressed a threat to his life amid a dispute with the management committee of the Gurdwara.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar said the state STF and local police were probing the murder as a “top priority” from all angles. He said the police were not only trying to identify the assailants but also uncover any larger “conspiracy” behind the murder.
The state police have also contacted central agencies to find out if they had any valuable information about the victim or the assailants, said the police officer.
The incident took place around 6:15-6:30 am, when two men on a bike entered the Gurdwara premises and after closing in on Singh, who was on a chair, fired at him twice while turning their vehicle. They escaped from the spot.
Singh was taken to a hospital in an injured state but was later declared dead, said police.
Manju Nath TC, Senior Superintendent of Police Udham Singh Nagar, said they had clear footage of the suspects, who appeared to belong to the same community as the victim. Another officer said the two had stayed in a guesthouse of the gurdwara.
While Sikhs form 2.34% of the state’s population, as per the 2011 Census, their numbers are much higher – almost 10% – in Udham Singh Nagar district, which borders Uttar Pradesh.
Udham Singh Nagar was carved out of Nainital district.
Tarsem Singh’s followers have demanded that the culprits be nabbed at the earliest.
Shivnarayan Pal, a prominent farmer who was close to Singh, said he was “shocked” by the murder. Pal suspected that a dispute over the “gaddi” or seat of the Gurdwara could be behind the crime, even as he hoped that the police would uncover the truth soon.
“I met him within the last week. He did not speak of any fear or threat. How could such a thing happen? He was a mahatma,” Pal told The Wire.
Pal also said that local sources said that the two assailants belonged to Rampur in Uttar Pradesh and Tarn Taran district in Punjab.
Singh was also considered close to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who, in the middle of his election campaign, travelled to Nanakmatta to offer his tribute.
“This was a very emotional moment for me which cannot be expressed in words,” said Dhami in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Strict instructions have been given to top police officers to arrest these murderers who are enemies of society and humanity as soon as possible,” Dhami said after the murder.
DGP Kumar told a news agency that the murder at Nanakmatta, one of the “most important religious places in our state” was a “matter of concern for us.”
The Nanakmatta Gurdwara is associated with the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. According to the Uttarakhand government, Guru Nanak is believed to have visited Nanakmatta on his way to Kailash Parvat in 1515 AD. Citing local lore, the state tourism department said, the place was earlier known as Gorakhmata, and after Nanak’s visit, its name was changed to Nanakmatta. It is today a popular pilgrimage site. A lake, Nanak Sagar, formed after the constriction of a dam there is also popular with tourists.
Pan Singh, one of the 250-plus ‘sevadars’ at the Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee, which manages the sprawling shrine, said Tarsem Singh had no public dispute with anyone.
Pal recalled Tarsem Singh for being helpful to the poor and the needy. “He would solve all kinds of problems for people and also resolve their disputes,” said he.
Rajpal Singh, formerly associated with the Gurwara and now vice-president of the state farmer’s commission, said a “suspense” prevailed over the likely motive of the crime.
“I had known Babaji for 20-25 years. He always behaved well and was amicable. He would provide shelter to elderly people and women abandoned by their families. He would arrange large langars and feed people,” said Rajpal Singh.
