Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill-2026 proposes life imprisonment for sacrilege

Key facts

• The Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill-2026 to impose stringent penalties for acts of sacrilege against the Guru Granth Sahib.
• The bill proposes imprisonment of seven to 20 years and fines ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh for individuals found guilty of sacrilege.
• For acts of sacrilege carried out as part of a criminal conspiracy to disrupt communal harmony, the punishment is fixed at 10 years to life imprisonment with fines up to ₹25 lakh.
• The legislation mandates the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to maintain a central register of saroops with unique identification numbers in both physical and electronic formats.
• Offences under this law are classified as cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, to be tried by a sessions court.
• Investigations under the Act must be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) or Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).
• Any individual who attempts to commit an offence under the Act faces imprisonment of three to five years along with a fine of up to ₹3 lakh.