Granthi, 6 others held for thrashing minor pathi

Our Correspondent

Raikot, September 23

The Hathur police arrested seven persons, including the head granthi of a Sikh religious place situated on the outskirts of Kamalpura on Binjal Road near here, for allegedly thrashing another minor pathi and uploading his video on social media.

The accused suspected that the victim had allegedly stolen a mobile phone when their jatha had visited some village for performing path of Guru Granth Sahib recently.

The accused were identified as head granthi Surinder Singh, Babbal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Harman Singh, Samsher Singh, Gurjit Singh and Daljit Singh, who along with victim Hardeep (17) had been staying at the religious place for many years.

The victim, a migrant from UP, had adopted Sikh religion on staying at the religious place.

The suspects of the brutal and blasphemous incident could have gone scot-free had the villagers not informed the Hathur police, who rescued the complainant from the illegal detention and registered an FIR under Sections 295, 323, 342, 355 and 506 besides 82 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

The complainant, Gurdeep Singh, informed the police that the accused had allegedly brutally beaten up a minor migrant with sticks and detained him illegally instead of getting him medical treatment. According to Gurdeep Singh, the victim’s parents are a homeless family and had been staying at a Birdh Ashram Mehal Kalan. The victim’s brother, Gurdeep Singh, claimed that Hardeep had been staying at the religious place for learning recitation of Sikh holy scriptures.

Meanwhile, office-bearers of certain Sikh organisations from Malerkotla, Barnala and Mansa have demanded strict action against the accused and justice for the victim.

Having come to know about the incident from social media, villagers informed the Hathur police led by Surjit Singh reached the religious place and shifted the victim to a hospital, where the police personnel recorded his statement and registered an FIR.

Confirming registration of the FIR against seven incumbents of the religious place, Raikot DSP Rachhpal Singh Dhindsa said that all the accused had been arrested. “We have already initiated a probe into the functioning of the religious place situated on a deserted place and arrested all the accused named by the complainant. Other accomplices, if any, will also be nabbed,” said Dhindsa.

#Sikhs #Social Media