11 years on, sacrilege cases remain mired in legal wrangles

Bathinda: Eleven years after the theft of a bir (saroop) of Guru Granth Sahib from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala sparked one of Punjab's most emotive controversies and a political crisis that reshaped the fortunes of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the related sacrilege cases remain stuck in legal wrangles.As Sikh organisations prepare to observe the anniversary on Monday with protest marches and religious programmes, there has been little movement in the three sacrilege cases for over a year. Proceedings before the trial court in Chandigarh have remained stalled since the Supreme Court, on April 29, 2025, directed that the matter should not proceed until further orders.Since then, the apex court has not taken up the matter. Hearings before the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, on May 8, July 31, Sept 25 and Dec 11, 2025, and March 12 and May 21, 2026, ended with the observation that no further directions had been received from the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled for Sept 24, 2026.The cases relate to the theft of a Guru Granth Sahib saroop from Gurdwara Singh Sabha at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, 2015, the appearance of derogatory posters at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari on Sept 25, 2015, and the recovery of torn pages of the holy scripture from Bargari on Oct 12, 2015.The incidents triggered widespread outrage across Punjab and culminated in police action at Kotkapura and firing at Behbal Kalan on Oct 14, 2015, in which protesters Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh were killed.A Special Investigation Team submitted its final report to the Punjab government in April 2022. Then chief minister Bhagwant Mann handed over the 467-page report to Sikh leaders on July 2, 2022. The report documented the sequence of events from the theft of the saroop to the filing of challans in the three cases.Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and several dera followers have been named as accused in all three cases. Though charge sheets were filed long ago, charges are yet to be framed."We have been waiting for justice for 11 years in the sacrilege cases and the police firing incidents. We will once again raise our demand for justice," said Sukhraj Singh, son of Behbal Kalan firing victim Krishan Bhagwan Singh.Sikh organisations and SAD (Amritsar), led by former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, will take out a protest march from Gurdwara Burj Jawahar Singh Wala to Gurdwara Patshahi Dasvin at Bargari on Monday. MP Amritpal Singh-led Waris Punjab De will observe the day as 'Paschatap Divas' at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala.