Man attacks granthi with sharp weapon in Sultanpur Lodhi's Gurdwara Hatt Sahib, nabbed

Jalandhar, May 19

Two persons were injured in a clash at the Hatt Sahib Gurdwara in Sultanpur Lodhi on Thursday evening. A Sultanpur Lodhi-based man has been arrested by the Kapurthala police for hurting religious sentiments at the gurdwara. The man has been identified as Lakhbir Singh, resident of Saroopwal village in Sultanpur Lodhi.

Booked for hurting religious sentiments

The accused called out the ragis and indulged in arguments with the gurdwara staff. He hurt religious sentiments; however, no sacrilege happened at the gurdwara. — Babbandeep Singh, Sultanpur Lodhi DSP

The incident took place in the gurdwara at 7 pm on Thursday. After offering his evening prayers at the gurdwara, a Sikh turbaned man (Lakhbir Singh) with a handkerchief tied across his face approached the podium where the granthis were sitting. He was apprehended by gurdwara sevadars and staff before he could get to the podium. Asked to take off his handkerchief from his face earlier by sewadars, he left the request unheeded.

The staff then took him outside the gurdwara as things got heated up. In a clash that ensued, the man himself and a granthi of the gurdwara sustained minor injuries. Jarnail Singh, general manager of the Gurdwara Shri Ber Sahib at Sultanpur Lodhi, also submitted a complaint in this regard to the Sultanpur Lodhi SHO today. He has complained that the man injured a granthi and even after being taken outside went in again where he was prevented by a ragi, who had to stop the kirtan to tackle the accused. The manager also complained that Lakhbir brandished his sharp-edged weapon and was eventually tackled by staff along with some devotees’ help. The manager alleged the man violated the maryada at the gurdwara.

Lakhbir Singh has been booked under section 295 of the IPC by the Sultanpur Lodhi police and is presently in police custody. The police said no incident of sacrilege had been reported at the gurdwara.

The injured gurdwara granthi, Amritpal Singh, in his statement said, “When an unidentified person entered the gurdwara with his face covered, we suspected mischief. After paying obeisance he began patting his thighs in defiance, in front of the podium of the ragis and then began heading towards them. We caught him and tried to take him outside when he took out a sharp-edged weapon and attacked me. However, we didn’t let him enter the sanctum sanctorum and the sewadars and staff took him outside. An untoward incident was prevented.”

We’d tried to take him outside

‘When an unidentified person entered the gurdwara with his face covered, we suspected mischief… We caught him and tried to take him outside when he took out a sharp-edged weapon and attacked me.’

Amritpal Singh, victim

A CCTV footage of the gurdwara shows a man with his face tied with a handkerchief patting his thigh in front of the kirtan podium and then being apprehended by some staff.

DSP Sultanpur Lodhi, Babbandeep Singh said, “The visting man, Lakhbir Singh, called out the ragis and patted his thighs in a defiant gesture and indulged in arguments with the gurdwara staff. He hurt religious sentiments; however, no sacrilege happened at the gurdwara. The man has been booked.”