SC dismisses 4 SLPs challenging HC order transferring sacrilege-related cases from Punjab to Chandigarh

Bathinda: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the 4 petitions challenging the order of the Punjab and Haryana high court allowing the trial in sacrilege-related cases from Moga, Faridkot and Bathinda districts in Punjab to be transferred to Chandigarh in March 2025. Sewak Singh, Gurcharan Singh, Iqbal Singh and Sukhdev Singh filed separate special leave petitions, SLPs (criminal), against the HC order in 4 cases of sacrilege from 2015 and 2016. The accused in these cases are mainly followers of Dera Sacha Sauda.The bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Augustine George Masih, dismissed the SLPs.Sewak Singh from Moga, without waiting for the Punjab govt to challenge the order, filed the SLP (criminal) in the SC on Sept 1, 2025, against the order of the HC to transfer a number of sacrilege cases from different districts to a competent court in UT Chandigarh. A Moga court sentenced three accused to 3-year imprisonment each on July 7, 2022, which was challenged in a higher court. Sewak said Dera people freely conduct their programmes in Punjab without any fear, but when it comes to facing trials in sacrilege cases, they feel the atmosphere is not congenial.After Sewak Singh, Sukhdev Singh filed an SLP in a case registered at Dyalpura Police Station in Bathinda on June 26, 2016; Iqbal Singh from Gurusar filed an SLP in a case registered at Dyalpura Police Station in Bathinda on October 20, 2015; and Gurcharan Singh from Bhagta Bhai Ka filed an SLP in a case where the trial was in Faridkot, registered on July 3, 2016.The court ordered the status quo to be maintained by the parties and issued notice returnable on January 23, asking respondents to file counter-affidavits and replies to interlocutory applications.Earlier, a single bench of the Punjab and Haryana high court, Justice Sandeep Moudgil, allowed a bunch of petitions for transfer of various cases from 3 districts in Punjab to Chandigarh in its order on March 17, 2025.Earlier, the sacrilege cases of Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages in Faridkot were transferred to Chandigarh, and even the case of firing at Behbal Kalan village in Faridkot, where two Sikhs were killed during a protest against sacrilege on Oct 14, 2015, was transferred to Chandigarh from Faridkot.Senior advocate HS Phoolka said four SLPs were filed by petitioners against HC orders of March 17, 2025, in sacrilege cases, while the Punjab govt did not challenge the order. The court on Friday dismissed the petitions and also directed the Punjab govt to review the security given to the accused, as they prayed for security due to threats to their lives while facing trials in Punjab. As the HC order about transfer of cases to Chandigarh was upheld, the security could be reviewed.During the trial in the HC, the defence counsels said though the petitioners earlier approached the Supreme Court in transfer petitions in 2019 and the same were dismissed on Nov 25, 2020, in view of the undertaking by the state that "foolproof arrangements will be made and security will be provided to the petitioners", the circumstances further deteriorated thereafter, as 3 murders took place in the past 3 years of persons related to similar FIRs involving alleged sacrilege incidents. They further stressed that the petitioners also faced constant threats and thus were not able to defend themselves in a manner that ensured a fair and transparent trial. The High Court allowed the petitions in March 2025.