Amritsar Police Register Case Against GTC Network Over Gurbani Telecast Dispute

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has lodged a police complaint in Amritsar against GTC Network, alleging a breach of policy concerning the live telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple. The SGPC asserts its exclusive legal authority to grant or deny permission for such broadcasts originating from Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Information was available with The Chenab Times that the SGPC maintains PTC Network manages the complete technical arrangements for its authorized Gurbani live telecasts on YouTube and other platforms. The committee states that no other entity, including GTC Network, has ever received equivalent rights or authorization.

Currently, the SGPC streams Gurbani multiple times daily via its official YouTube channel, “SGPC Sri Amritsar,” and provides extended coverage across Facebook, its official website, and a dedicated Apple application. However, in the absence of its own satellite channel, the committee has continued to rely on the infrastructure operated by the PTC Network for broader dissemination.

The SGPC has emphasized that while live links can be shared by any party, no channel is permitted to rebroadcast the content without the committee’s express approval. Confirming the registration of the complaint, SGPC’s legal counsel Amanbir Singh Siali stated that the action was initiated with the Amritsar Police Commissioner, demanding measures against GTC Network.

Rabindra Narayan, the founder and managing director of GTC Network, countered the allegations, claiming that the SGPC has been selectively targeting his broadcasting network. Narayan, who is also the former managing director of PTC, asserted that numerous channels have been relaying the live feed of Gurbani from the SGPC-authorized channel, referring to PTC Channel, without facing legal repercussions from the SGPC.

He alleged that the SGPC’s action is solely directed at GTC Network, despite his observation of at least two other channels carrying the transmission through the SGPC link for an extended period before GTC did. These channels, he claimed, superimpose their own logos over the SGPC feed, sometimes obscuring the original SGPC logo altogether, and he expressed readiness to provide proof.

Advocate Siali clarified Narayan’s assertion, explaining that the sharing of Gurbani feeds from SGPC’s YouTube or social media channels is an open and permissible act for anyone. He reiterated that the GTC Network’s alleged retransmission of the Gurbani feed with its own on-screen logo, without authorization on its satellite platform, constitutes a highly objectionable breach of the SGPC’s rights.

Siali added that if any other channel were found to be retransmitting Gurbani with its logo, stern action would be taken against them as well. It was alleged that GTC Network, commencing August 6, had been relaying Gurbani with its logo without securing any permission from the SGPC. Following this, the SGPC had issued a legal notice to GTC, which reportedly led to a temporary suspension of the Gurbani telecast from its platforms, only for it to be resumed later.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had stated that GTC Network submitted a letter seeking permission for the live broadcast around 9 p.m. on August 5. However, without awaiting a response, the network allegedly accessed the link from the SGPC’s YouTube channel early the following morning and began rebroadcasting Gurbani from 3:15 a.m.

Dhami maintained that all rights concerning the Gurbani broadcast remain exclusively with the SGPC. He asserted that any channel, web platform, YouTube channel, website, or social media platform not authorized by the SGPC has no right to redirect, re-stream, download, or upload Gurbani broadcasts from the SGPC’s official YouTube channel or social media pages.