Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji desecrated in Jammu, Sikh community outraged

October 13, 2025 by News Desk

In a deeply disturbing incident late Tuesday night, multiple saroops (copies) of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji were allegedly set on fire inside Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Koulpur village in Samba district, Jammu.

According to police and local reports, the accused, identified as Manjit Singh alias Billa, used an inflammable liquid to carry out the sacrilegious act. Of the five saroops taken into the gurdwara, four were completely destroyed and one partially damaged by heat.

An FIR has been filed, and Manjit Singh has been arrested.

The act triggered immediate protest and condemnation from the Sikh community in the region. Senior officials from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) arrived on site, and the Akal Takht’s acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj personally visited the affected gurdwara, lamenting the act as “extremely shameful and painful.”

In a stern move, the Jathedar declared a lifetime ban on all present office‑bearers and committee members of the gurdwara in Koulpur — including their family members, from holding any future managerial role in any gurdwara. He also directed that every gurdwara must maintain 24×7 security and warned against negligence in safeguarding the holy scripture.

Senior state and police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Samba and the DIG of Jammu‑Samba‑Kathua range, inspected the site and are overseeing the investigation.

The charred saroops have been sent for religious handling at Gurdwara Goindwal Sahib in compliance with customary protocols.

Angad Singh Khalsa condemns sacrilege, demands exemplary action

Expressing profound anguish, socio‑political activist Angad Singh Khalsa strongly condemned the sacrilegious incident in Koulpur. In his statement, he said, ““Such a heinous and heart‑wrenching act has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the Sikh community and all those who revere the universal message of peace and humanity embodied in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the supreme and eternal spiritual authority for the Sikh community, and any form of beadbi (sacrilege) is completely intolerable.”

He urged the administration and investigating agencies to ensure a “fair, transparent, and impartial investigation” without any attempt to dilute the case or prematurely label the accused or collaborators as “mentally unsound,” a narrative he noted has been used in past incidents to the detriment of justice.

Khalsa demanded strict and exemplary action against all perpetrators involved, saying that only a firm response could deter future attacks on Sikh religious sanctity.