A 27-year-old prayer reciter has been sent to judicial custody in connection with a deeply distressing alleged sacrilege incident at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Sanaur, Patiala. The accused, identified as Simranjit Singh of Sanaur, was produced before a court on Wednesday after the completion of a one-day police remand.
Confession and Motive Behind the Act
According to police officials, the investigation is ongoing, with further action to be based on evidence and recorded statements. SHO of Sanaur, Sub-Inspector Harminder Singh, stated that the accused confessed to committing the act with a specific motive. Simranjit allegedly intended to falsely implicate a fellow paathi and shift the blame onto him to avoid his own religious duties.
"The accused was unhappy performing duties as a paathi and acted with intent," said the SHO. The incident came to light after an ang (page) of the Guru Granth Sahib was found torn and placed beneath a rumala (cloth covering) at the gurdwara.
Sequence of Events and Community Response
The discovery was made after the holy scripture, or bir, was brought back to the gurdwara following an akhand path (continuous prayer recital). This religious ceremony had been organized at a nearby common place in connection with the Shaheedi Diwas of the younger Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh. The gurdwara committee, treating it as a serious case of sacrilege (beadbi), immediately informed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the police.
SGPC executive member Surjit Singh Garhi revealed that Simranjit Singh confessed before an SGPC team that questioned him two days after the incident. Garhi provided background, stating that Simranjit was a music teacher in a private school and had no personal inclination to become a paathi. He was reportedly compelled by his father, himself a paathi, to follow the family tradition.
"He is not a granthi attached to any gurdwara but works as a private paathi, reciting prayers during akhand paths for around Rs 1,200 per day," Garhi said, adding they were astonished by the silence of the accused's father after being informed about the crime.
Investigation and Legal Proceedings
Garhi explained that the bir remained in the custody of six paathis during its transportation and the akhand path. The gurdwara committee recorded statements from all six, after which one individual emerged as the prime suspect. The police initially detained all six paathis for questioning and registered a case under relevant sections pertaining to hurting religious sentiments and sacrilege.
In the wake of the incident, security was tightened in and around Sanaur to maintain law and order, and residents were urged to remain calm. The event caused deep hurt and resentment within the Sikh community, with local residents and religious leaders demanding strict punishment for the guilty. SGPC representatives reiterated the need for swift and credible investigations in such cases to uphold the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib.
As legal proceedings against Simranjit Singh progress, the gurdwara management and the SGPC are continuing internal reviews. The sangat (congregation) has resolved to carry on routine religious programmes with heightened vigilance.
