The Kapurthala ‘sacrilege’ case is taking a whole different turn compared to what the Granthi at Nizampur Gurudwara had claimed. According to multiple reports, the Police have mentioned that the deceased was spotted by one of the sewadar (volunteer) in the kitchen located on the ground floor eating chapatis. Notably, only the sewadar and Granthi live on the ground floor of the said Gurudwara, and Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is on the upper floor.
What happened in Kapurthala Gurudwara on December 19?
The reports suggest that when the sewadar spotted the man, he tried to escape and was eventually apprehended by the sewadars. The man, who was in his twenties, was kept in a room on Gurudwara premises. The Police were not allowed to take him. He was beaten to death by the angry crowd. It is noteworthy that Police also added that the deceased had eight deep cuts on his body that were made by a sharp weapon like a sword. The badly thrashed man was rushed to the hospital by the Police, where he was declared dead.
It is notable here that some policemen were also present when the victim was being beaten to death. During the presser, the police had confirmed that some policemen had attempted to rescue the victim but they were prevented from doing so by the mob and since it was a violent atmosphere, they showed ‘restraint’ and did not aggravate the situation further. Hindi daily Bhaskar had reported that some policemen had received injuries while trying to control the violent crowd.
Police could not find any evidence of sacrilege at the Gurudwara. During the press conference, the Police clearly mentioned that everything was found intact, including Nishan Sahib and Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, Senior Superintendent of Police, had said the deceased went to Gurudwara with the intention of theft. Reportedly, a case under 295A was filed. Furthermore, the Police said that they are verifying all details.
Earlier, the Police had said they filed a murder case against unknown persons as well, but later they took a U-turn and said no case against those who beat him to death was registered. Inspector-General of Police Gurinder Singh Dhillon said they were questioning Granthi Amarjit Singh and, “After verifying all facts, an FIR will be registered.”
He wanted food
Yup in the video when the granthi is urging all locals to come to beat this guy he says this guy has ruined our langar by eating rotis
— Rambhakt Vedic (@Vedic_Revival) December 20, 2021
'Beadbi' is the excuse to escape any consequences for their crime. https://t.co/qjSOjQktTU pic.twitter.com/wyCPClQrdj
Some reports say that instead of alerting the police, the Gurudwara in charge started making live videos on social media, thus inciting a mob and alleging that the victim man had committed ‘beadbi’ or sacrilege. In one such video that is doing rounds on social media, the Gurudwara in charge is seen proclaiming to the audience that the victim was caught taking Rotis from the kitchen and was apprehended and beaten. He then says that the man also tried to touch Nishan Saheb.
However, the police have stated that the sacred book is kept on the upper floor and there was no sign of anyone touching or causing any damage.
The victim is seen tied up and thrown in a corner, looking barely conscious.
SSP Kapurthala HPS Khakh has told that the Gurudwara in charge doesn’t like the police and has been objecting to police presence around the area. He has also been frequently visiting Sikh shrines located in Pakistan.
As more details emerge, it is slowly becoming apparent that the victim who was brutally lynched to death by a violent mob was in all probability a poor, desperate man looking for some food to eat and had entered the Gurudwara to get some rotis.
Gurudwara and free langar
Gurudwaras, which literally means the house of the Gurus, are famous for the free langar that they serve to everyone irrespective of caste, race, and religion etc. many Gurudwaras serve langar 24×7, and anyone could just go there and seek food. Sikh Sangat or the group of Sikhs volunteers also served continuous langar at protest sites against CAA-NRC and during year-long farmer protests. Gurudwaras have also served langar during Covid time at many locations not only in India but across the world.
