State sitting on Bill seeking 10-yr jail for sacrilege culprits

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1

Even as the state police have arrested 10 persons for sacrilege incidents and the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission has submitted a report on the issue, the government is yet to amend a Bill on enhancing jail term in such cases to 10 years from two at present.

Titled Indian Penal Code Amendment Bill, 2016, it was passed by the state Assembly in March 2016. The Punjab Governor gave his approval to the Bill in April and the same was then sent to the Centre for approval and implementation.

The Union government returned it in November last year, saying the Bill could not be taken up further as it sought to enhance punishment for causing disrespect to Sikh religion only.

Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda said the objection that the Bill should include punishment for sacrilege of all religions was reasonable. Nanda said the Centre agreed that the punishment should be enhanced to 10 years, but it disagreed with the Bill making it exclusive for the Sikh religion.

He has already given his opinion on the matter, but the state government is yet to make the necessary amendment and send the Bill for a fresh perusal of the Union government.

While the Home Department officials could not be contacted, sources said the state had not worked on the Bill after it was returned. The issue is at the centrestage now with the arrest of nearly 10 sacrilege suspects and submission of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report.

A police official linked with the sacrilege probe, on the condition of anonymity, said the efforts of identifying the accused three years after the first incident of sacrilege was reported at Faridkot’s Bargari village would go waste if the government failed to have a provision for a stringent punishment for the accused.