PATIALA: A 32-year-old woman was shot dead at a gurdwara in Patiala on Sunday by a devotee, allegedly for having liquor within the precincts.
A sewadar (volunteer) was injured when he tried to stop shooter Nirmaljit Singh, who fired several rounds from his licensed pistol as "his religious sentiments were hurt" by the woman drinking there, said SSP Varun Sharma.
Nirmaljit was overpowered by gurdwara staff and later handed over to police. The injured Sewadar, Sagar Kumar, is in hospital and out of danger.
Police officers cited CCTV images to say that the woman had come to the shrine alone on Sunday amid claims that she was addicted to alcohol and had been to rehab before.
The incident, as per police, took place around 10pm when some gurdwara staff tried to stop the woman, allegedly inebriated then, from having liquor while sitting by a pond in the complex. "The accused opened fire in the heat of the moment as he claimed his religious sentiments had been hurt," the SSP said. Police have seized Nirmaljit's pistol and booked him for murder.