A central figure in the long-running dispute to determine the leader of a global Sikh empire has surrendered to police in India.
Gurcharan Singh Granthi of Dodhar village in Ludhiana district was wanted in connection with the murderous mayhem that erupted at a temple in Siahar, Punjab on October 10, 2003. He gave himself up to police just before Christmas after being on the run for five years.
Granthi has been charged in relation to the murder of Ajit Singh, a villager from Siahar who was shot during the 2003 temple riot. He died on October 25 of that year. The fatal bullet, which tore open his stomach, also shattered Singh’s spine.
Several other villagers were injured in the deadly riot in Siahar - some were shot while others were slashed with swords and attacked with bricks. At least 50 people belonging to the rival factions are also facing trial in India in relation to the temple turmoil.
Villagers in Siahar - and even the rival factions themselves - are now hoping that Granthi’s surrender will finally bring an end to a war between two holy men that has its roots in Richmond, British Columbia.
It is a religious battle revolving around Baba Harnek Singh Grewal in Canada and Baba Mann Singh in India, both of whom have hundreds of thousands of fervent followers worldwide.
Ultimately the dispute will decide control of a religious global empire, including 7,000 acres of land in B.C., Alberta and Ontario, a mansion in Richmond and millions in cash donations from congregations in Canada, England, the United States and India.

In October 2006, a court in the industrial city of Ludhiana, Punjab ordered B.C.’s Harnek Singh Grewal to face charges in connection with the deadly riot.
Grewal spends most of his time in Edmonton, where he manages the affairs of a temple in that city, those of a Richmond temple, as well as his Nanaksar sect’s global religious interests, which are estimated to be worth some C$20 million.
Court documents filed in 2006 allege that Grewal in a telephone call from Canada told his followers "that all supporters of (his rival) Baba Mann Singh be killed by fire shot."
"They (the followers) exhorted their companions to kill supporters of Baba Mann Singh in case any of them happens to be present in the Gurudwara Sahib (temple in Siahar) at that time," the court documents alleged. Grewal has denied the accusations claiming his rivals are orchestrating the charges as part of an on-going effort to oust him and take control of the groups’ assets.
The Nanaksar sect owns a mansion in Richmond in addition to a place of worship, Richmond’s Nanaksar Gurdwara on Westminster Highway.
The gurdwara is owned and operated under the auspices of the Nanaksar Gurdwara-Gursikh Temple Society, which was incorporated on July 12, 1979.
Since the deadly riot in 2003, Grewal has kept a low profile, mainly in Edmonton. He continues to deny the allegations he had anything to do with the violent riots of ’03, describing them as "false and concocted," adding that he is the victim of a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by his opponents who want to grab control of the religious empire he oversees.
The Nanaksar movement was founded by Baba Nand Singh near Jagroan in Punjab and took root following his death in 1943. Two of his closest disciples was Baba Mihan Singh of Siahar - the father of Mann Singh and mentor of Harnek Singh Grewal - the two leaders currently at odds.
After Mihan Singh founded the Nanaksar Ashram in Siahar, he went around the world to spread the teachings of Nanak, Sikhism’s first guru. The universally revered holy man taught his followers to build temples on their own time to minimize costs and as acts of sacrifice. This led to the construction of the Richmond’s Nanaksar Gurdwara. Similar temples were built in Toronto, Edmonton and Coventry in the United Kingdom.
During his latter years Baba Mihan Singh was looked after constantly by Harnek Singh Grewal and his son Mann Singh. In Sept 1994 at age 88, Baba Mihan Singh died in the Richmond Nanaksar temple - a temple built with unified community support that is now the Canadian epicentre of the religious strife.
After Baba Mihan Singh’s death, Harnek Singh Grewal became the leader of the Nanaksar sect. His rival, Mann Singh returned to Siahar where he maintained a low profile performing religious duties.
"He wasn’t interested in the politics or the assets of the temple and wanted to live the life of his father teaching and praying," said one of Mann Singh’s disciples.
The Nanaksar movement is known for its strict tenets, including celibacy for its leaders and abstinence from alcohol. In November 2000, an Alberta police officer found Harnek Singh Grewal slumped behind the wheel of a vehicle at the West Edmonton Mall.
His breath test showed a reading of .160, twice the legal limit. Grewal, who claimed to be a labourer in court, plead guilty to one count of being over the legal blood-alcohol limit. He was fined C$600 and handed a 12-month driving suspension. Dissidents in the Richmond Nanaksar temple also filed a petition with explosive allegations in the B.C. Supreme Court to oust Harnek Singh Grewal as their leader.
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Laura Gerow disagreed with every major point advanced by the dissidents saying they were merely challenging the succession of Harnek Singh Grewal to the position of high priest of the sect in 1994.