Jalandhar: Woman ‘disrespects’ sacred weapons, assaults gurdwara priest, held

Jalandhar, September 26

A woman was arrested for showing disrespect towards sacred shastras (weapons) placed in front of Guru Granth Sahib and assaulting the granthi (priest) on duty at a gurdwara here.

The suspect, identified as Jasleen Kaur, visited the gurdwara to pay obeisance. However, during her act of reverence, she inexplicably picked up sacred swords positioned before Guru Granth Sahib. When the granthi, identified as Harvinder Singh, intervened, she attacked him. The granthi suffered minor injuries in his hand.

Harvinder Singh raised an alarm, following which fellow devotees and others present at the gurdwara rushed to his aid. They managed to disarm the woman and contacted the police, leading to her immediate arrest.

Gurpreet Singh, SHO of the Basti Bawa Khel police station, said the incident took on Sunday. It came to notice of people after the CCTV footage went viral. He said they apprehended the woman the same day. A case under Section 295-A of the IPC was registered against her.

The SHO said additional details provided by the woman’s family members suggest that she was suffering from depression due to ongoing family disputes and separation from her husband recently. “However, we are investigating the case from various angles,” he said.