After having spearheaded the legal battle for the riot victims for 26 years, the accusations were beyond Phoolka’s comprehension. Especially since the Delhi High Court had just a day before asked for providing a “closure” to the riot victims by handing out expeditious justice in cases allegedly involving senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.

“Anguished and deeply hurt”, he soon stepped out of not just the courtroom but also all the riots cases that he had been fighting on behalf of the victims. “I could not reconcile to the fact that after having devoted my life for the cause of justice for the riot victims, I was accused by the president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna of wasting money and using these cases for my personal gains. Shockingly, the allegations surface at a time when the conviction of a political leader (Sajjan Kumar) seems more realistic than ever before,” Phoolka told Newsline in the afternoon on Wednesday.

Phoolka said he was compelled to think of giving up the cases as he had been “humiliated” by Sarna at a meeting in front of several other prominent members of the Sikh community on July 17 . Sarna reportedly alleged that when Phoolka appeared before the Justice G T Nanavati Commission on behalf of the victims from 2000 to 2004, DSGMC had spent Rs 1.09 crore on the administrative expenses incurred by his team. This, Sarna alleged, proved to be a waste as no benefit came out of it to the Sikhs.

“It is very unfortunate that certain Sikh leaders of Delhi, under a deep-rooted conspiracy to shield the guilty Congress leaders have started a campaign to malign me,” Phoolka said. He said he had written a letter to the Akal Takht to make alternative arrangements for representing the victims before courts because he wished to withdraw in the wake of the allegations against his “integrity and selfless service”.

However, a few hours later, the episode witnessed a twist when the Akal Takht, after taking note of his letter, contacted Phoolka and asked him to continue fighting the cases. “I got a call from Jathedar Akal Takht Sahib and I could not say no to his wishes for the moment. Sarna has also been summoned on Monday for explaining his actions and I have decided to wait till then. I do not want the cases to suffer because of an impulsive decision. I have complete faith in the Akal Takht,” Phoolka said in the evening.

In Amritsar
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh convened an emergency meeting and decided to summon Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee chief Paramjit Singh Sarna and brother Harvinder Singh Sarna on July 26 to explain their stand. “It is regrettable that Sarna brothers forced Phoolka, whom the whole community takes in high esteem for his services to the Panth, to take this extreme step. We are shocked,” said Gurbachan Singh. If found guilty, Sarna brothers might face even expulsion from the Panth.