19-year-old beaten to death for 'sacrilege' at Punjab gurdwara

A 19-year-old was beaten to death for allegedly tearing pages of the revered Guru Granth Sahib at a gurdwara in Punjab, officials said on Saturday. The alleged sacrilege incident took place in Bandala village.

The teenager, identified as Bakshish Singh, allegedly tore some pages of the holy book after entering the premises of a gurdwara. He was immediately caught by the people and beaten to death.

Police have filed an FIR against the Bakshish for the alleged sacrilege, news agency PTI reported.

According to the police, the situation escalated when Bakshish attempted to flee after tearing the pages. He was apprehended by locals, who, upon learning of the incident, gathered at the gurdwara and subjected Bakshish to severe thrashing, police said.

Senior police officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police Saumya Mishra, arrived at the scene soon after the incident was reported.

The police have registered an FIR against Bakshish Singh under Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code, based on a complaint lodged by Lakhvir Singh, chairman of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee.

Meanwhile, Bakshish's father, Lakhwinder Singh, said he was mentally ill and was undergoing treatment for it. Expressing anguish over the police action against his son, Lakhwinder Singh sought action against those responsible for his son's death.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

(With inputs from PTI.)