19-yr-old youth beaten to death over 'sacrilege' charge in Punjab's Ferozepur

Ferozepur: A 19-year-old youth was beaten to death following an alleged sacrilege incident that took place at a gurdwara here on Saturday, police said.

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, they said.

His father Lakhwinder Singh said that Bakshish was mentally challenged and was undergoing treatment for it.

Police have filed an FIR against the youth for the alleged sacrilege. Bakshish's father, however, called on the police to register a case against those who killed his son.

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, police said.

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 incident of sacrilege in Ferozepur.

He termed Bakshish's death as a reaction to the 'failure to punish the culprits and give exemplary punishments by law.' 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 said that the government's law is neither proving successful in stopping the incidents of sacrilege nor in punishing the culprits.

He said the sacrilege in Ferozepur is a very unfortunate incident which has hurt 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.