Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann recently announced a significant breakthrough in the long-standing case of missing Guru Granth Sahib saroops, stating that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has successfully traced 169 sacred copies. This announcement was made during the Aam Aadmi Party's Maghi rally in Muktsar on January 14, 2026. According to CM Mann, the SIT recovered these saroops from two deras located near Banga in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (formerly Nawanshahr) district. A critical detail highlighted by the Chief Minister is that out of the 169 recovered saroops, 139 were found to have no official record or serial numbers, indicating serious irregularities in their distribution and management. Only 30 saroops had existing records. Mann affirmed the Punjab government's commitment to solemnly hand over these recovered saroops to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for their proper installation, stressing that this action is a sacred duty rather than an achievement. He further stated that the handover would adhere to due 'maryada' (Sikh code of conduct) and follow directions from the Akal Takht. The broader controversy dates back to May 2020, when an internal audit at the SGPC's publication house in Amritsar revealed a discrepancy involving 328 missing saroops. The AAP government escalated the investigation by registering a First Information Report (FIR) on December 7, 2025, against 16 individuals, including a former SGPC official, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, such as criminal breach of trust, forgery, and hurting religious sentiments. This move initially caused friction, with the SGPC terming it an unwarranted interference. However, in a recent development, the Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj directed the SGPC to cooperate fully with the state government's SIT for the larger interest of the Sikh community. The recovery marks the first physical evidence of the missing scriptures being located outside official SGPC custody, intensifying the ongoing probe into accountability and mismanagement.