Chandigarh, Dec. 27: The Golden Temple, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs, has been robbed of Rs 2.78 lakh.

The robbery took place on Sunday evening after the day’s offerings at two gurdwaras ? Harmandir Sahib and Gurdwara Shaheedian ? were kept in an almirah in the nearby Guru Nanak Niwas within the temple complex.

The theft was noticed in the night when money was being counted by officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which is responsible for the upkeep of Sikh historical shrines.

As it was a Sunday, the money was not kept inside the treasury room, which is guarded round the clock by armed personnel. Security inside the temple is managed by the SGPC.

“This is a very embarrassing incident. An inquiry is being conducted and we are yet to pinpoint who is responsible for the theft,” SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh said. Police have also started a probe.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar visited the shrine today to enquire about the theft. “I have given instructions to the officials not to spare anybody. An FIR has also been lodged,” he said.

According to Sukhdev Singh, who is conducting the internal probe, the theft seemed to be the handiwork of people working inside the gurdwara. “But we are yet to find out who is responsible,” he said.

An SGPC official said two persons on duty near the complex where the money was kept were handed over to the police for questioning.

“The breaking of locks could not have been possible without the involvement of the SGPC staff members,” the official added.

Amritsar police, however, blamed the SGPC for withholding information after detection of the theft. “Had they informed us immediately, we could have acted fast. The FIR was lodged only today, after a lapse of 48 hours. But we are working on the clues,” an officer connected with the investigation said.

Turban meet

The Akal Takht is calling an international meeting of Sikh scholars to discuss the legal battle with the French government over the ban on turbans in schools in that country.

Akal Takht jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti, the highest decision-maker at the seat of the Sikh temporal authority, met a French Sikh delegation in Amritsar on Tuesday.