Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill 2026: Stringent Punishments for Sacrilege

Key facts

• Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria gave assent to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill 2026.
• The legislation focuses exclusively on protecting the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Standard acts of sacrilege attract a minimum imprisonment of 7 years, extendable up to 20 years, and a fine ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
• Offences committed as part of a conspiracy to disturb communal harmony carry a minimum of 10 years imprisonment, extendable to life imprisonment, and fines between ₹5 lakh and ₹25 lakh.
• The offences are classified as non-bailable and cognisable, triable by a sessions court.
• Investigations must be conducted by officers not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police or assistant commissioner of police.
• The law replaces the terms Bir and Birs with Saroop and Saroops to align with Sikh religious terminology.
• Only the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) or entities authorised by it can print, publish, store, or distribute Saroops.
• The SGPC is mandated to maintain a centralised physical and electronic register of all Saroops, updated monthly, with public access via the SGPC website within 45 days of the law coming into force.
• The legislation introduces the concept of a custodian, encompassing individuals, institutions, and gurdwara committees responsible for the care and protection of a Saroop.
• Sacrilege is broadly defined to include physical acts such as burning, tearing, or theft, as well as spoken, written, symbolic, or electronic actions.