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Sacrilege Case: UNITED SIKHS Petitions Human Rights Commission to Investigate

“Following the desecration of five saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in a village in Panjab, the Punjab Police have registered a case of theft in a dwelling house, etc…. However, the police have not added the offence under section 295-A IPC relating to injuring the religious sentiments of Sikhs nor an offence under section 153-A of IPC relating to an act which is prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and offence committed in a place of worship, nor offence under section 153-B of IPC relating to assertions prejudicial to national integration,”: Mejindarpal Kaur, UNITED SIKHS Legal Director said in the petition filed through her.

“The village community is in shock and we pray for forgiveness that this sacrilege took place in our Gurdwara . Until the culprit is found we take full responsibility for the pain that has been caused to the community,” said a tearful Kulwant Singh, the Gurdwara president.

Chandigarh, Panjab - UNITED SIKHS has petitioned the Punjab Human Rights Commission (PHRC) to investigate the desecration of five Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and other Sikh scriptures in a Panjab village on 12th Aug 2011.

The petition filed through UNITED SIKHS Legal Director, Mejindarpal Kaur, calls upon the Commission to use its power under section 14 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, to have the desecration case investigated by a special investigation team headed by an officer of Indian Police Service rank for offences of injuring religious sentiments and promoting enmity between religious groups and acts which threaten national integration under sections 295-A, 153- A, 153-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“UNITED SIKHS had to petition the PHRC because the Punjab Police had to date, more than a week after the sacrilegious incident, only investigated the incident as a mere theft and trespass,” said Gurvinder Singh, UNITED SIKHS’ Chandigarh based lawyer who filed the petition. You may read the petition here. Voices For Freedom , an international human rights group, which is based in Chandigarh, has also filed a similar petition though its lawyer, Simranjit Singh.

On the rainy night of 12th/13th Aug 2011, five Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs, were desecrated after they removed from the Gurdwara at Udhampur Nallan, a small peaceful village near Chandigarh, and thrown in a nearby disused well along with other religious scriptures and the Chaur Sahib ( fly whisk). This was discovered by local Sikh women who had come to clean the Gurdwara at dawn, when they saw the unlocked entrance door to the Darbar Sahib, where the congregation gathers to pray in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. They then noticed that the Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were missing. They alerted the Sarpanch (village head) and the Gurdwara president who gathered the villagers to look for the Saroops. When the rain subsided, the Saroops were found in a nearby disused well along with other missing items. The Saroops were removed from the well and after conducting a religious ceremony of Ishnaan they were restored to the Gurdwara before final rites were performed on 14th August 2011 at Goindwaal Sahib.

“This incident was well planned, where the perpetrator(s) removed from the gurdwara all five saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Chaur sahib (fly whisk) and all other religious books and scriptures and threw them in the well nearby making no attempt to hide the items. Further there was no sign of forced entry nor was any golakh money (community donations) or anything of monetary value stolen, save an amplifier system which is hitherto unrecovered.

“This suggests that this was not a simple act of theft. Instead the perpetrators intended to incite the Sikh community and by so doing cause disharmony. Hence it is imperative that investigations are stepped up to investigate the more serious offences of causing religious enmity and jeopardizing harmony,” added Mejindarpal Kaur.

The UNITED SIKHS legal team filed the petition after visiting Udhanpur Nallan to interview the villagers and the Gurdwara President, Kulwant Singh. Our team also met with the Punjab Police investigating team, led by Jarnail Singh.

“The village community is in shock and we pray for forgiveness that this sacrilege took place in our Gurdwara . Until the culprit is found we take full responsibility for the pain that has been caused to the community,” said a tearful Kulwant Singh.

You may read a previous press release on UNITED SIKHS advocacy efforts for religious freedom in Panjab at http://www.unitedsikhs.org/PressReleases/PRSRLS-07-06-2011-00.html

Issued by

Mejindarpal Kaur
Legal Director
International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy
UNITED SIKHS
Law-india@unitedsikhs.org
+91 9779957973