A Nihang Sikh killed a youth at a gurudwara in Punjab's Phagwara, said Gurpreet Singh, Phagwara Superintendent of Police, according to news agency ANI. The Nihang Sikh killed the youth over suspicion of sacrilege, Singh said, adding senior police officials were present at the spot and further investigation is underway into the matter.
"A Nihang Sikh killed a youth at Gurudwara Shri Choura Khooh Sahib over suspicions of sacrilege. Senior Police officials are present at the spot. Further investigation is underway," Singh said as per ANI.
The state of Punjab has been witnessing sacrilege incidents of late which refers to the act of breaching or showing disrespect towards something regarded as sacred or holy.
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Last year, a sacrilege incident took place in Morinda when a man was seen entering the sanctum sanctorum of th gurdwara, hitting granthis (priests) and desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib.
Jathedar of Shri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Harpreet Singh has expressed his concern over such incidents and said that incidents of sacrilege were happening continuously in Punjab, which is a matter of concern.
In 2021, after the state reported two cases where men were beaten to deaths over alleged sacrilege bid, the then Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had written to Centre for obtaining presidential assent for two bills passed by the state Assembly in 2018 over punishment in desecration incidents.
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In a letter written to Union home minister Amit Shah, Randhawa sought assent to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, and the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, which provides for life imprisonment for the sacrilege of holy books.
He noted that the bills had received the ascent of Punjab governor in September 2018 and was pending for assent of the President since October, 2018.