On 4th May, a 19-year-old youth identified as Bakshish Singh alias Gola was beaten to death by angry devotees over alleged sacrilege outside the premises of Gurdwara Sahib Baba Bir Singh, in village Bandala of district Ferozpur, Punjab. As per reports, Bakshish allegedly tore the ‘Holy Ang’ of Shri Guru Granth Sahib at the Gurdwara, after which the devotees present at the scene caught him. They dragged him outside where he was brutally beaten before handing over to the police. Bakshish succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. For those who are unaware, the pages of Shri Guru Granth Sahib are known as ‘Ang’.
Police were informed about the incident but the devotees beat him mercilessly before the police reached the scene. He was handed over to the police in an unconscious state. Police rushed him to the nearest private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Devotees and villagers informed police that Bakshish never visited the particular Gurdwara ever before.
Speaking to the media, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), City Police Station, Sukhvinder Singh said that a young man committed sacrilege at Gurdwara Sahib Baba Bir Singh. Police added that after tearing the pages, Bakshish tried to run away. The devotees present at the Gurdwara held him and beat him to death. In a statement, Bakshish Singh’s father Lakhvinder Singh said he was mentally unstable and was on medication for the past two years. A video of people beating Bakshish Singh went viral on social media platforms.
An FIR under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the deceased has been registered over sacrilege at the Arifke Police Station based on the complaint of chairman of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee’s chairman Lakhvir Singh. However, Bakshish’s father urged the police to file another FIR for the murder of his son.
SGPC justified killing the youth over allegations of sacrilege
Following the incident, Shri Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) issued a statement and justified lynching of youth over allegations of sacrilege. In the statement, SGPC said, “Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Raghbir Singh termed the death of the accused of sacrilege as a reaction to the ‘failure to punish the culprits and give exemplary punishments by law’. Moreover, the Jathedar has also ordered 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 Sahib.”
The complete statement by SGPC read, “Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Raghbir Singh today expressed deep grief over the incident of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village in Ferozepur district and termed the death of the accused of sacrilege as a reaction to the ‘failure to punish the culprits and give exemplary punishments by law’. Moreover, the Jathedar has also ordered 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 Sahib. Today in a statement issued from the Secretariat, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said that for a long time, incidents of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji have been taking place under a well-planned conspiracy. He said that the government’s law is neither proving successful in stopping the incidents of sacrilege nor in punishing the culprits. He said that today’s incident of sacrilege at Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village of Ferozepur district is a very unfortunate incident in this series which has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs. He said that for Sikhs there is nothing above Sri Guru Granth Sahib and incidents of sacrilege badly harm the soul and mentality of Sikhs. The Jathedar said that when the rule of law fails miserably in performing its duty, then people are forced to seek justice in their own way. He also warned the government that instead of troubling the Sangat or any Sikh regarding the death of the accused of sacrilege, the truth should be brought before the Sangat as soon as possible as to who sent the accused of sacrilege and under what conspiracy.”
Multiple cases of murders over alleged sacrilege in Punjab
This is not the first time there has been a case of murder over alleged sacrilege in Punjab. In January this year, Nihang Sikh killed a young man at a gurudwara in Phagwara, Punjab, on suspicion of sacrilege. The accused identified as Ramandeep Singh Mangu Math, posted the footage of the youth before murdering him and claimed responsibility for the murder.
In 2023, protests erupted after a man allegedly attacked two ‘granthis’ (Sikh priests) and desecrated the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ at a gurudwara in Morinda. The accused, Jasvir Singh, had been apprehended by the Punjab Police.
In a video of the event that circulated on social media, Jasvir was seen entering the sanctum sanctorum of medieval Gurudwara Kotwali Sahib Kotwali after crossing the railing and then hitting two ‘granthis’ reciting Gurbani, before throwing the holy book on the ground. Jasvir was later overpowered and beaten by worshippers at the temple. He was then turned over to the police.
In another incident reported in November 2023, a Punjab home guards constable was killed and five policemen were injured in a clash with Nihang Sikhs in Kapurthala’s Sultanpur Lodhi. The deceased constable has been identified as Jaspal Singh, who was posted at Sultanpur Lodhi police station.
The incident happened as two of the Nihang groups had been at loggerheads for the past days over the control of the Gurudwara Akal Bunga situated opposite to main Gurudwara Ber Sahib. The Nihangs, who were heavily armed, had locked the Gurudwara from the inside. The police had barricaded the whole area and initiated talks with the Nihang group to vacate the possession. However, clashes erupted and the police home guard constable was killed.
On December 18, a man was lynched to death by the Sikh Sangat (Sikh devotees) in Shri Harmandir Sahib Gurudwara in Amritsar over an alleged attempt to disrespect the holiest book of Sikh religion, Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. As the CCTV footage showed, the young man jumped into the Sanctorum where the holy book was placed. He picked up the kirpan (sword) that was placed next to the holy book. By that time, Sikh Sangat present got into action and grabbed him. Reports suggest the Sangat alleged he was trying to desecrate Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The man was lynched by the Sangat, and his body was placed outside the Gurudwara premises. More such case cases can be checked here.