Amritsar Sahib, Punjab (KP) - After being postponed by Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti and other Singh Sahibs, the case of Baba Daljit 'Singh' Chicago, who was facing charges of 'enjoying' the company of a women other than his wife, has resumed. The Singh Sahibs have decided on a quite lenient 'tankhah' (punishment) for the Baba at a meeting held on March 29, 2006. Jathedar Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh of Sri Damdama Sahib said the Baba was to perform 'jorhian di seva' (cleaning the shoes of the sangat), offer Karah Parshad, and read Gurbani at one of the Panj Takhats.
An act of depravity such as the one committed by Baba Daljit 'Singh' would, under standard Panthic maryada, only be forgiven after the individual retakes Amrit, however nothing of such a tankhah has been mentioned.
Another peculiarity in this case is that the Sikh clerics had assembled to determine the punishment without informing the media, whereas commonly a tankhah is given before the critical eye of the media.
The Baba was exposed on Panthic Weekly in prior weeks after he had spent the night in a Wauconda motel with a woman who was not his wife. The Baba, as readers will recall, fled the scene when confronted by the local Chicago sangat. General Secretary of the Sikh Religious Society of US, Kulwant Singh Hundal said; "there were 14 eyewitnesses to the incident of November 17."
Since he was exposed, Daljeet Baba had been trying to garner support in order to spread disinformation and discredit the sangat. Sources tell Panthic Weekly that "Sant Baba" Daljeet Singh has left the United States and gone to India in order to build support among those who may not have all the facts at hand.
Daljeet later served a legal notice to several people that claimed to sue for 50 million US dollars (Rs 22 crore) in damages, alleging that he had been wrongfully defamed, suffered an invasion of privacy, for intentional infliction of emotional distress, malicious prosecution, and conspiracy.
On March 24, 2006, a delegation that comprised of representatives from Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, UK, and the USA asked the Jathedar of Akal Takhat, Joginder Singh Vedanti, to take action against Baba Daljeet ‘Singh' of Chicago. The delegation claims that it represents more than 115 Gurdwaras and panthic organizations from six countries and asked Jathedar Vedanti to reject Baba Daljeet from his position as a preacher of Sikhism on moral grounds.
