Youth Beaten To Death For Sacrilege At Punjab's Gurdwara

An angry crowd beat a young boy to death for desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Ferozepur in Punjab on Saturday, said DSP Sukhwinder Singh.

However, the situation is under control. According to reports, Bakshish Singh, a resident of Talli Gulam village, allegedly tore several pages of the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred text of the Sikhs, upon entering the gurdwara premises in Bandala village.

His father, Lakhwinder Singh, stated that Bakshish was mentally challenged and receiving treatment for his condition. An FIR has been filed by the police against the youth for the purported sacrilege. Despite this, Bakshish's father has urged the authorities to also investigate and file charges against those responsible for his son's death.

After tearing off pages of the Guru Granth Sahib, the victim tried to escape from the spot, but he was caught by some people who thrashed the youth. He later succumbed to injuries, police said.

Following the incident, senior police officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra, arrived at the village. An FIR was registered against Bakshish under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to deliberate acts intended to outrage religious sentiments. This action was taken based on a complaint lodged by Lakhvir Singh, chairman of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee, at the Arif Ke Police Station.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh has expressed grief over the incident of sacrilege in Ferozepur.

He described Bakshish's demise as a consequence of the "failure to hold the perpetrators accountable and administer exemplary justice under the law." Furthermore, the Jathedar urged the Sikh community to socially and religiously ostracize the family of those accused of sacrilege and to prohibit the accused's final rites from being conducted in any gurdwara.

'For Sikhs, there is nothing above Sri Guru Granth Sahib and incidents of sacrilege badly harm the soul and mentality of Sikhs,' he said.

The Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, stated that when the legal system "fails egregiously in fulfilling its obligations," individuals are compelled to pursue justice through alternative means.