Undertrials accused of sacrilege in Punjab being targeted, killed

Following incidents of desecration of holy books in Punjab, undertrials accused of sacrilege are now being targeted and killed.

In less than two months, two women accused of desecrating the Guru Granth Sahib have been mercilessly killed.

One of the accused, Balwinder Kaur (55), was mentally challenged and was facing trial in a local court. Balwinder, a Dalit, was charged with entering a Sikh shrine wearing shoes in November.

On Sunday, three unidentified people entered Balwinder’s house in Veroke village in Amritsar and dragged her outside.

The accused used sharp-edged weapons to chop her legs. A profusely bleeding Balwinder crawled back in and made her way to where her husband Labh Singh was asleep.

However, Labh, who had returned home in an inebriated state that night, did not wake up. She then dragged herself to where her seven-year old granddaughter lay, but it was too late.

Balwinder died of excessive bleeding. Her husband found her in a pool of blood the following morning and informed the police. Labh is being questioned by the police.
In July, a 47-year old woman was charged with sacrilege and shot dead in Punjab’s Ludhiana district by motorcycle-borne youth.

Both women were out on bail at the time of the incident.

For the past year, poll-bound Punjab has remained religiously surcharged with repeated incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and Quran.