Punjab Police issues SOP for sacrilege probe, prioritises religious sensibilities

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(File Photo) Make us preferred source on Google Whatsapp twitter Facebook Reddit PRINT The Punjab Bureau of Investigation (PBI), part of the Punjab Police, has released an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) issuing mandatory guidelines for investigation of the sacrilege (beadbi) cases involving Guru Granth Sahib ji, Gutka Sahib, and other Gurbani publications. This procedure also extends for the probe of other holy scriptures such as the Bible, Quran and Bhagwat Gita. Issued under the signature of PBI Director L K Yadav, the SOP says “investigation is true ascertainment of facts”. It stresses a “delicate balance of rigorous legal protocol, forensic precision, meticulous evidence preservation and cultural sensitivity” while prioritising respect for religious sensibilities and ‘maryada’. The SOP was issued on April 10 and was followed by an addendum on April 13 when the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, was passed by Punjab Vidhan Sabha. As per the SOP, the Investigating Officer (IO) and Station House Officer (SHO) must reach the scene of crime, inform superiors, register an FIR if a cognisable offence is disclosed (as mandated by the Supreme Court’s Lalita Kumari judgment) and secure the site with a “dual perimeter” to protect evidence and control crowds. Forensic teams must be called immediately. All scenes require high-resolution photography, videography, site mapping, CCTV seizure, call detail records (CDRs), tower dumps and digital evidence collection via the e-Sakshya mobile application. “Sacred ‘Angs’ of Guru Granth Sahib ji must be documented respectfully and handled only in the presence of authorised religious functionaries,” the SOP says. The desecrated material must be handled with utmost reverence. “Recovered sacred items are to be handed over on sapurdari to religious representatives. Final rites must follow religious protocols, with full documentation and videography.” The SOP instructs that officers must determine whether the act was opportunistic, accidental, negligence-based, mental health-related or a premeditated attempt to incite unrest. They are required to probe motives, conspiracy, patterns of similar incidents, financial trails and social media activity. It has separate guidelines covering juveniles (under the Juvenile Justice Act) and suspects showing signs of mental illness. Officers must secure digital evidence, seek platform data, verify authenticity and issue takedown requests swiftly while monitoring communal tension. Detailed procedures address morphed images, deepfakes, offensive posts and online campaigns. All cases will be personally supervised by the SSPs or Commissioners of Police with periodic reviews. Timely charge sheets, effective ‘pairvi’ through dedicated cells, witness protection under the Punjab Witness Protection Scheme, 2025, and prosecution scrutiny of police reports are mandated. “Investigations must remain neutral, use objective language, avoid further disrespect, and shield the probe from attention-seekers or vigilante actions. Any police officer failing to follow the SOP faces departmental action.” The PBI released the SOP addendum to further strengthen guidelines for investigating the sacrilege cases. It addresses gaps identified in the original SOP regarding sanction for prosecution, time-bound probes, certification of electronic evidence, online submission of charge sheets and ensuring speedy trials. It clarifies that the core framework of the original SOP remains unchanged. The key additions in the addendum say the IO must, upon filing the chargesheet, simultaneously initiate a proposal for grant of sanction under Section 217 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, (corresponding to the old CrPC Section 196). The BNSS Section 217 mandates that no court can take cognisance of offenses against the state or criminal conspiracy to commit them without the previous sanction of the Centre or state. “All heads of field units must ensure that IO and police witnesses appear before the trial court at the first available opportunity to record evidence. Delays in witness appearance are described as a ‘travesty of justice’ that frustrates trials and affects the rights of under-trials…” the SOP addendum says. A senior Punjab Police officer said, “This rapid issuance of the SOP underscores the Punjab Police’s commitment to plugging procedural loopholes and ensuring that sacrilege cases… SOP and addendum now provide a complete, court-ready framework for handling such sensitive cases across Punjab.” Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram