The Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. File image. | Photo credit: ANI
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notices to the Army, the Center and the Central Bureau of Investigation on a petition seeking directions to release manuscripts, religious books and other articles allegedly seized during Operation Blue Star and handed over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
A division bench of Chief Justice Sheela Naga and Justice Ramesh Kumari passed these directions on Monday (March 30, 2026) while hearing a plea filed by a Ludhiana resident in 2019.
The petitioner sought directions from the SGPC as to the whereabouts of religious texts, manuscripts and other articles allegedly seized during Operation Blue Star and handed over to the SGPC.
Operation Blue Star was a military operation conducted between 1 June and 10 June 1984 against armed militants led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala who were holed up inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Then, in November 2019, the High Court sent the proposal only to the SGPC. However, during subsequent hearings, the SGPC said that some items were returned and some items were still in the possession of the CBI, the Center and the Army.
Request for a list of confiscated items
Petitioner Satinder Singh, who identified himself as a devout Sikh, said articles were seized from the Sikh Reference Library, Toshakhana, Central Sikh Museum and Guru Ramdas Library of the Golden Temple complex during the operation.
The petitioner sought directions for preparation of lists of manuscripts, artefacts and literature removed on June 7, 1984. He further sought directions for preparation of list of manuscripts, religious texts and other articles returned to SGPC.
It was further prayed that the manuscripts, religious books and other articles be restored to the libraries, Central Sikh Museum and Toshakhana in the Golden Temple complex.
These should be made available to the public for the purpose of ‘darshan’, reading and research, the petitioner submitted.
While issuing the notice, the high court on Monday asked the respondents to submit their replies as to whether they owned the articles.
Published – 31 March 2026 16:57 IST
