Punjab: Morinda sacrilege incident accused dies at hospital

Jasvir Singh Jassi, who was arrested by the Punjab Police for committing sacrilege at a gurdwara in Morinda, died at the Civil Hospital in Mansa on Monday evening, according to police.

Accoring to reports, accused Jasvir was lodged in Mansa jail and in the afternoon he reportedly complained of breathing problem. He was taken to the Civil Hospital, where he died this evening.

Mansa Senior Superintendent of Police Nanak Singh said the accused died at the civil hospital.

He was taken to the hospital in the afternoon after he complained of 'discomfort', police said, adding that he died at around 9:10 pm.

The cause of death will be clear after the post-mortem examination, they added.

A doctor at the Mansa civil hospital said Jasvir Singh was brought from the jail to the hospital at around 4 pm as he was experiencing difficulty in breathing.

At around 8:30 pm, his condition deteriorated as his blood pressure and oxygen saturation level dropped considerably, the doctor said.

The accused died at around 9:10 pm despite the best efforts of the doctors to save him, he added.

On April 24, Singh was seen in a video entering the sanctum sanctorum of Kotwali Sahib gurdwara after crossing the railing and then hitting two 'granthis' (Sikh priests) who were reciting from the Guru Granth Sahib, and then flung the holy book on the ground. The clip of the incident ha dgone viral on social media sites, garnering strong reactions.

Singh was later overpowered by devotees present in the shrine and beaten up. He was then handed over to police. The incident sparked outrage among locals who held a protest outside the Morinda Police station, seeking strict punishment for the accused. Markets were also shut down in Morinda in protest against the incident.

(with PTI inputs)