Life imprisonment for sacrilege: Punjab introduces toughest-ever law to protect Guru Granth Sahib

The offence, defined by the Bill, would be non-bailable, cognisable, and triable by a sessions court. The investigations must be conducted expeditiously by officers not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police. The Bill was tabled by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is also the Home Minister.

In a highly symbolic move, the Bill was seconded by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, an MLA from Anandpur Sahib, a holy city linked to the birth of the Khalsa. It was here, on the festival of Baisakhi in 1699, that Guru Gobind Singh formally established the Khalsa Panth. Despite being a government holiday, the government has called for a special one-day session on Baisakhi.

The Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, has been tabled as an amendment to the 2008 Act and will come into force on a date to be notified by the state government. One of the most notable changes is the substitution of the words “Bir” and “Birs” with “Saroop” and “Saroops” throughout the principal Act, aligning statutory language with commonly accepted religious terminology.

The amendment replaces the opening paragraph of the preamble to emphasise the prevention of printing, publication, storage, distribution or supply of Saroops by any entity other than the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or those authorised by it. It underscores the need to ensure sanctity in accordance with Sikh Rehat Maryada (the Sikh code of conduct and conventions) while also defining and penalising sacrilege and creating what it calls a “deterrent framework.”

The amendment inserts an additional clause noting that incidents of deliberate sacrilege have “increased manifold,” and strengthens the concluding portion of the preamble to stress deterrence against “unscrupulous elements.” Expanding definitions under Section 2 of the principal Act, the Bill introduces the term “custodian,” covering individuals, institutions or gurdwara committees responsible for the protection and maryada of a Saroop formally supplied to them.

Definition of sacrilege

It also defines “records” as both manual and electronic documentation relating to printing, storage and distribution, and elaborates “sacrilege” as any wilful and deliberate act of desecration, ranging from physical damage such as burning, tearing or theft, to spoken, written, symbolic or electronic acts that hurt the religious feelings of Sikhs.

A new Section 3A mandates the SGPC to maintain a central register of all Saroops, assigning each a unique identification number and recording details such as date of printing, place of supply, storage location and custodian identity.

The register is to be maintained in both physical and electronic formats and made available on the SGPC website within 45 days of the Act’s commencement, with mandatory monthly updates duly certified by an authorised officer.

Defining the duties of custodians and punishment

Through Section 3B, the amendment has defined duties of custodians, requiring them to ensure safe custody, prevent misuse or damage, and strictly observe the Sikh Rehat Maryada. Any incident of damage, disappearance or suspected sacrilege must be immediately reported to police authorities and the concerned management body.

Any person who commits an offence of sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Guru Granth Sahib under this Act shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which should not be less than 7 years but which may extend to 20 years, and should also be liable to fine which should not be less than Rs 2 lakh but which may extend to Rs 10 lakh.

Any person who in criminal conspiracy commits an offence of sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Guru Granth Sahib under this Act with the intention to disrupt peace or communal harmony shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which should not be less than 10 years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and should also be liable to fine which shall not be less than Rs 5 lakh but which may extend to Rs 25 lakh.

Any person who abets the commission of an offence under this Act should be liable to the same punishment as provided for the offence so abetted.

Any person who attempts to commit an offence under this Act should be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which should not be less than three years but which may extend to five years, and should also be liable to a fine which should not be less than Rs 1 lakh but which may extend to Rs 3 lakh.

The law will come into effect when the government notifies it in the official gazette. By amending rather than replacing the 2008 law, the government has sought to build a far more stringent and structured legal framework around the protection, custody and sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Third Bill on sacrilege

Punjab has already seen two sacrilege bills tabled in 2016 and 2018. The 2016 proposal prescribed life imprisonment for desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and 10 years for other religious texts. It was returned by the Centre, with objections that it created unequal punishments for similar offences across religions.

In 2018, former chief minister Amarinder Singh’s government revised the Bill to include all religions uniformly, but it has remained pending without Presidential assent for eight years.

Monday’s Bill focuses exclusively on the Guru Granth Sahib. The government has stated its positions rooted in Sikh theology, which holds that the scripture is the eternal Guru.

Chief Minister Mann has already stated that the new Bill will be a “state law” and may not require Presidential approval. He said it would only require the Governor’s assent.