Chandigarh

Punjab Police has registered the first case under the state’s newly enacted anti-sacrilege law after torn pages of a Sikh religious scripture were found in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.

The case was lodged late Thursday night after pages from a Sukhmani Sahib Gutka were discovered in the Kuchian Mohalla area of Malout, police officials said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Harjeet Singh said an FIR has been filed against unidentified persons, and an investigation is currently underway.

Police officials said the recovered pages were later respectfully handed over to a local gurdwara.

The case has been registered under Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with deliberate acts intended to outrage religious sentiments, along with Section 5 of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026.

The Punjab government had formally notified the new anti-sacrilege legislation last month. The amended law—titled the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026—introduces stricter penalties for acts of sacrilege involving the Guru Granth Sahib.

The Aam Aadmi Party government had convened a special session of the Punjab Assembly on April 13 to amend the earlier 2008 legislation, with the stated objective of preventing incidents of ‘beadbi’ and preserving the sanctity of Sikh religious scriptures.

Under the amended law, a person convicted of sacrilege can face a minimum prison term of seven years, which may extend to 20 years, along with fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

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In cases involving criminal conspiracy or acts intended to disturb public order or communal harmony, the punishment becomes more severe, with imprisonment starting from 10 years and extending up to life imprisonment, along with fines between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh.