Alleged sacrilege attempt at Golden Temple, suspect killed

Neeraj Bagga  

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 18

Angry ‘sangat’ killed a man after he allegedly attempted to commit sacrilege in the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple on Saturday.

Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has directed state police authorities to thoroughly probe into entire matter to zero in on the underlying motive and real conspirators behind this dastardly act.

The alleged sacrilege incident occurred at 5.45 pm when Rehras path (routine evening prayer) was in progress. The man, with shorn hair, all of a sudden jumped over the metal fence around the place where ‘parkash’ of Guru Granth Sahib is there.

Before he could get successful in his attempt he was nabbed by on-duty SGPC employees. According to reports, he caught hold of Sri Sahib (Kirpan, a Sikh religious symbol) and placed feet over Rumala Sahib. During the melee the Granthi Singh continued with the recitation of the ‘path’.

Sources said SGPC employees took him to a room situated along the Parkarma, where he was beaten up during interrogation.

SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said the person was killed by angry devotees. “It appeared to be a deep-rooted conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere and bring disgrace to the Sikh faith. The incident required a probe to expose the forces behind it,” he said.

Meanwhile, the alleged attempt to commit blasphemy was seen on live TV as the ‘path’ was being telecast on a channel. The clip was soon widely circulated on social media and people, including Nihang Singhs and members of various Sikh organisations, rushed to the Golden Temple.

Later, more video clips emerged showing the body lying on the floor of the Golden Temple complex and people gathered around it raising religious slogans.

It was the second such incident in the Golden Temple in the past two days. On Wednesday, the SGPC employees handed over one Ranbir Singh for allegedly throwing holy gutka (a handbook of Gurbani) into the sarovar (holy tank) of the Golden Temple.

Strongly condemning the “most unfortunate and heinous act to attempt sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the sanctum sanctorum of Harimandir Sahib during the path of Sri Rehras Sahib”, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh has directed state police authorities to thoroughly probe into entire matter to zero in on the underlying motive and real conspirators behind this dastardly act.

The CM also called up SGPC president and assured his government’s full support and cooperation to get into the bottom of the case.

Paramjit Singh Sarna, former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Committee; Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, a leader of Akali Dal Sanyukt, and other Sikh leaders denounced the incident. They said it was an attempt to vitiate the harmonious and peaceful environment of Punjab.

Police Commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill said the preliminary probe revealed that the accused had attempted to commit blasphemy and an aroused Sangat beat him to death. When the police team reached the spot he had already been done to death by the crowd. “We took possession of the body outside Teja Singh Samundari Hall’s entrance gate. The body was taken to Civil Hospital for post mortem. Efforts were on to identify him and appropriate action would be taken on the basis of the statements of the eyewitnesses and SGPC employees,” Gill said.

Too shocking and painful for words: Badal

Chandigarh: Five-time Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal described the heinous attempt to commit sacrilege at Sachkhand Shri Harmandar Sahib as “deeply shocking and exceedingly painful”.

Badal said the crime was too reprehensible for words and it has caused “deep anguish and outrage in the minds of the Sikh masses all over the world”.

He added that it was unbelievable that “such a painful and brazen crime could be committed at the holiest shrine of humanity” by a single individual, adding that the possibility of a deep-rooted conspiracy behind it cannot be ruled out. He said that the whole conspiracy needs to be probed, exposed and those behind it be given exemplary punishment.