Teenager beaten to death over alleged sacrilege act

In a shocking incidents, a 19-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death following an act of sacrilege at a gurdwara in Punjab’s Ferozepur. Bakshish Singh, the deceased, reportedly tore some pages of the Guru Granth Sahib, the revered holy book of the Sikh community, at Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village on Saturday.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhwinder Singh, an enraged crowd apprehended Bakshish after the alleged sacrilege and subjected him to severe thrashing. A police case has been registered against him for the purported act of sacrilege.
The father of the deceased, Lakhwinder Singh, asserted that his son was mentally challenged and had been under medication for two years. He pleaded with the authorities to initiate legal action against those responsible for his son’s death.

Local sources disclosed that Bakshish had no prior visits to the gurdwara. Attempting to flee after the sacrilegious act, he was captured by villagers who delivered the fatal beating.
A distressing video footage from the scene showed Bakshish surrounded by a group of men, bleeding and restrained. Though he rushed to a private hospital by the police, he succumbed to his injuries.
DSP Singh assured that the situation is now under control, though concerns over the tragic outcome persist.

Expressing dismay over the incident, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh criticized the failure of law enforcement to curb sacrilege incidents. He emphasized that such unfortunate events are a consequence of the system’s inability to deliver justice.
Furthermore, the Jathedar called for the Sikh community to shun any association with Bakshish’s family and to refrain from allowing his last rites at any gurdwara. He underscored the need for collective action when legal recourse proves inadequate.