An attempted theft was reported early this morning at Gurdwara Sahib in Basti Chugga, located in the Dharamkot township of Moga district. A young man allegedly broke a windowpane to gain entry into a room inside the gurdwara premises.
The entire incident was captured on the gurdwara’s CCTV cameras. The footage shows the suspect first attempting to break open the golak (donation box) to steal cash. After failing to do so, he allegedly dismantled and removed a wall-mounted fan. Based on the CCTV footage, the police quickly traced and arrested the suspect.
While some social media posts began linking the incident to an act of sacrilege, the police strongly dismissed the claims, clarifying that it was purely a case of attempted theft.
Police Investigation and Arrest
Providing details about the operation, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhwinder Singh said that the police received information in the morning regarding a break-in at the Basti Chugga Gurdwara. A police team immediately rushed to the spot and apprehended the suspect.
“The youth was caught on camera first trying to break the donation box and then removing a wall fan. We are investigating the matter thoroughly. This is strictly a case of theft and has no connection with sacrilege,” DSP Singh clarified, urging the public not to spread misleading narratives on social media.
Suspect Identified as Repeat Offender
The arrested suspect has been identified as Harpinder Singh, a resident of Jalalabad. According to the police, the accused is a repeat offender with a history of theft cases registered against him. The swift action by law enforcement based on CCTV evidence led to the arrest, preventing further criminal activity.
