Three weeks after the Muktsar district police registered Punjab’s first FIR under the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, after torn pages of a Sukhmani Sahib gutka (prayer book) were found scattered in Malout town on April 30, the cops are yet to make a breakthrough.
The case was registered under Section 299 (malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in addition to the new Act, which provides for stringent punishments, including life imprisonment and fines up to ₹25 lakh, for acts of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
The anti-sacrilege bill, which proposed amendments to the original 2008 Act, was passed unanimously by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during a special one-day session on April 13. Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria accorded assent to the bill on April 17, and it was notified by the Punjab government on April 20.
Malout deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jaspal Singh said on Wednesday that teams are working to identify the culprits.
“We have scanned various surveillance cameras around the slum where the torn pages were recovered and interrogated several people, but we have yet to get clinching evidence in the case. Forensic experts are yet to submit their analysis report,” the DSP said.
{{/usCountry}}“We have scanned various surveillance cameras around the slum where the torn pages were recovered and interrogated several people, but we have yet to get clinching evidence in the case. Forensic experts are yet to submit their analysis report,” the DSP said.
{{/usCountry}}Investigators said around 40 pages of the scripture were recovered from Kuchian Mohalla, a slum locality in ward number 10 of Malout town, following which residents alerted the police. An FIR was registered on the complaint of local resident Jangir Singh.
Police officials said the case was registered against unidentified persons, and they are still clueless about the perpetrators.
Investigators said that the area where the incident occurred is inhabited by underprivileged families engaged in rag picking and small-scale scrap dealing.
An official associated with the probe, requesting anonymity, said investigators suspect the damaged prayer book may have reached the area through ragpickers, who collect scrap material and old books from nearby villages and the town.