19-yr-old man beaten to death for allegedly tearing Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab’s Ferozepur

A 19-year-old was killed in an attack after an alleged sacrilege incident at a gurdwara on Saturday, according to police.

As reported by PTI  citing police officials, Bakshish Singh, a resident of Talli Gulam village, allegedly tore some pages of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhs, after entering the premises of the gurdwara in Bandala village.

Lakhwinder Singh, the father of the victim, stated that his son Bakshish had a mental illness and was receiving treatment for it. The police have filed an FIR against the youth for the alleged sacrilege. However, Bakshish's father urged the police to open a case against those responsible for his son's death.

According to police, “Bakshish allegedly tore some pages of the Guru Granth Sahib and then tried to flee. He was caught by some people, and as the news of the alleged incident spread, villagers assembled at the gurdwara and thrashed the youth. He later succumbed to injuries”.

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Senior police officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra, reached the village after the incident.

Police lodged an FIR against Bakshish under Section 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code at the Arif Ke Police Station on a complaint lodged by Lakhvir Singh, chairman, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee.

Bakshish's father Lakhwinder said his son had been mentally disturbed for the last few years and has been undergoing treatment. The police should also register an FIR against those who killed his son, he said.

Meanwhile, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh expressed grief over the sacrilege incident in Ferozepur.

He termed Bakshish's death a reaction to the “failure to punish the culprits and give exemplary punishments by law.”

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Moreover, the Jathedar has also asked the Sikh ‘Sangat’ to socially and religiously boycott the family of the accused of sacrilege and not to allow the last rites of the accused to be held in any gurdwara.

In a statement, Singh said for a long time, incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib have been taking place under a “well-planned conspiracy”.

He criticized the government's law, stating it has been ineffective in preventing sacrilege incidents or bringing the perpetrators to justice. He also noted that the sacrilege incident in Ferozepur was deeply regrettable and had wounded the sentiments of Sikhs.

“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 seat of Sikhs, said when the rule of law “fails miserably in performing its duty”, then people are forced to seek justice in their own way.

(With inputs from PTI)