Proof lacking, brothers held for sacrilege let off

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, November 2

Two brothers arrested by the Punjab Police on October 16 for their alleged role in the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in Faridkot were released today. 

Judicial Magistrate Satish Kumar ordered the release of Rupinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh, residents of Punjgrain Khurd village in Moga district, after the police said they “did not have sufficient evidence against them”.

In an application under Section 169 of the CrPC, the police said as the arrested brothers had denied undergoing polygraph (lie-detector) test and there was no sufficient evidence or reasonable ground of suspicion to justify their police or judicial custody, they should be released.

The police also produced Kulwinder Singh, granthi of a gurdwara in Bargari, in the court to seek his approval for the release of the arrested brothers.

What cops say

A police spokesperson said in Chandigarh the brothers had been released as the police did not want them for questioning in the sacrilege case anymore. However, the release did not mean they were innocent, he said. As the case has been handed over to the CBI, the agency can detain or arrest them for questioning if it wanted, he said.