Chandigarh: A shocking incident of beadbi (sacrilege) was reported from Kaulpur village in Vijaypur tehsil of Jammu’s Samba district, where a man set fire to five sacred Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji during the intervening night of October 7 and 8, around 1 a.m.
According to preliminary information, the accused, identified as Manjeet Singh alias Billa, a resident of Kaulpur, had built a dera in his house near the local Gurdwara Sahib.
Accused Manjit Billa | Image taken from CCTV Video
According to locals he had been engaged in activities contrary to Sikh tenets and misleading the local Sikh community by claiming that Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji would manifest through him.
Following repeated complaints from the local Sikh sangat (community), the District Gurdwara Management Committee (DGMC), Samba, had earlier removed several Pothi Sahib and other religious material from his residence to prevent possible disrespect or misuse. The committee and the local community had also told Manjeet Singh to publicly apologize for his conduct.
Accused’s dera cum house demolished by local Sangat
However, during the late hours of last night, the accused entered the Gurdwara Sahib, broke the glass enclosure of the Sukhasan Asthan (resting place of Guru Granth Sahib Ji), and set ablaze five saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib before fleeing the scene.
A CCTV video of the sacrilegious act has surfaced, though Sikh Siyasat has chosen not to share visuals or images of such a heinous act as a matter of editorial policy.
The Jammu Police have confirmed that the accused, Manjeet Singh Billa, has been arrested from Nagrota. In the aftermath of the incident, enraged members of the Sikh community demolished the house and dera where the accused had been residing and carrying out his controversial activities.
Further details were awaited at the time of filing this report.