3 held for desecration of holy book in Punjab

Two granthis and a woman were arrested in connection with cases of desecration of the holy book of the Sikhs in Punjab where activists of various outfits blocked roads and highways at several places to protest the sacrilege.

While a granthi in a gurudwara in Nijjapura village of Amritsar district was arrested for allegedly committing an act of sacrilege, the police took into custody a woman working as a sweeper and a granthi in connection with the Ghawaddi village desecration case in Ludhiana district.

Amritsar senior superintendent of police (rural) Jasdeep Singh Saini said the police received a call from the priest of a gurudwara at Nijjarpura late Sunday night that three persons forcibly entered the shrine and tore the pages of the holy book.

“The statement of priest appeared false following which he was interrogated by the police before other people working in the shrine,” he said. The 30-year-old granthi Jagdeep Singh confessed that he had committed the crime and had tried to mislead the police, Mr Saini said.

Concerned over the prevailing tension in Punjab, the Centre on Monday stepped in with Union home minister Rajnath Singh speaking to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal expressing concern over the situation and assuring “all possible help” from the Centre.