Ex-Akal Takht jathedar Giani Puran Singh dies
AMRITSAR Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Puran Singh died at a private hospital in the city on Wednesday. He was 72.
He was suffering from a heart ailment and admitted to the hospital three days ago.
Giani Puran Singh, who was a granthi (priest) at the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar in 1984, was appointed jathedar of Akal Takht in April 1999.
In January 2000, he had excommunicated former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Jagir Kaur for violating the directives of Akal Takht on the Nanakshahi Calendar.
On March 28, 2000, the SGPC’s executive body had sacked Giani Puran Singh as jathedar of Akal Takht and appointed Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti the acting jathedar. Hours before being sacked, Giani Puran Singh had excommunicated four executive members of the SGPC.