Sacrilege a serious, heinous offence regardless of any religion: High Court

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, October 7

In a significant order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has emphasised the importance of adhering to the command of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri ruled that the Guru’s directive made it clear that there would be no human Guru after him. The sole Guru to be revered is the Guru Granth Sahib. Any deviation from this sacred principle amounts to causing hurting and insulting religious sentiments.

Drawing strength from Supreme Court judgments, shabads from the Guru Granth Sahib and references provided by Amicus Curiae Kulwant Singh Boparai, Justice Puri delivered the ruling in a case involving a person who claimed to be the reincarnation of Guru Nanak Dev.

Judge cites Guru Gobind Singh’s directive

Guru Gobind Singh had made it clear that there would be no human Guru after him. The sole Guru to be revered is the Guru Granth Sahib. — Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri

The accused sought the quashing of an FIR filed in December last under Section 295-A of the IPC, registered at the Division E police station in the Amritsar District Police Commissionerate.

Justice Puri said the allegations against the petitioner were not only serious, but also of high magnitude. The individual was accused of deliberately and maliciously intending to outrage the religious feelings of a particular class of people.

Moreover, he was alleged to have insulted a religion and religious beliefs through spoken words and visible representations.

Dismissing the plea, Justice Puri said: “An act of sacrilege, regardless of any religion, is a serious and heinous offence, particularly because it affects a large section of society.”

Justice Puri observed that Guru Granth Sahib is a holy compilation of many shabads of the Gurus, saints, scholars and writers. “The Guru Granth Sahib is not just the holy scripture of Sikhs, but is a final, sovereign and eternal living Guru following the lineage of the 10 human Gurus,” Justice Puri added.