Man Attempts 'Sacrilege' Inside Golden Temple, Beaten to Death by Angry Mob; CM Orders Probe

A man, in his early 20s, was beaten to death on Saturday after he allegedly attempted to desecrate the Holy Guru Granth Sahib in Golden Temple in Punjab’s Amritsar. As per the viral video, the youth jumped golden grills inside the sanctum sanctorum, picked a sword, and reached near in front of the ‘Saroop’ where a Sikh priest was reciting the holy Guru Granth Sahib.

The man was nabbed by security officials and was handed over to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) office. An angry crowd gathered outside the office and thrashed him badly that later led to his death.

Videos of the incident show the mob trying to break the gate of the SGPG office and raising slogans. Weapons are also visible in the crowd.

Deputy Commissioner of Police P S Bhandal said the man, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, died in the altercation. “Today, one 24-25-year-old man barged inside (Golden Temple) where the holy book (Guru Granth Sahib) is kept. He tried desecrating it with a sword; was taken out by Sangat people; died in the altercation,” he told ANI.

Meanwhile, SGPC President S Harjinder Singh said, “It is a matter of great sorrow that such an incident took place at Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib from where the message of universal communion is conveyed to all mankind. During the recitation of Sodar Rehras Sahib today a man jumped over the safety grill and entered the sanctum sanctorum and picked up the sword kept in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, but he was apprehended by the Sewadars on duty, and died due to beating by the Sangat.”

“It is unfortunate that instead of exposing the forcing working behind the culprits who had been arrested in the past, they were released after being declared as mentally ill. It is the failure of the governments and agencies who could not reach the people working behind such culprits,” he added.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit S Channi has condemned the incident and directed state police authorities to thoroughly probe the matter. “CM also called up SGPC President and assured his government’s full support and cooperation to get into the bottom of the case,” the CMO said in a statement.

The incident comes days after a man was held for throwing ‘gutka sahib’ (a handbook of Gurbani) into the sarovar (holy tank) of the Golden Temple. The man was caught by SGPC employees and was later handed over to the police.

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