HOSHIARPUR: Police have arrested six ‘granthis’ (Sikh priests) for allegedly abetting the suicide of a fellow granthi through threats and mental harassment, officials said on Sunday.A case has also been registered against three to four unidentified persons under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections related to abetment of suicide, police said.According to news agency PTI, the arrested accused have been identified as Satinder Singh, Rajwant Singh, Pargat Singh, Gurjant Singh, Tasveer Singh and Mehar Singh.Police said that Satinder Singh is a resident of Muradabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP), while the remaining accused are from Ludhiana and are currently associated with gurudwaras in and around Hoshiarpur.The deceased, Jaspal Singh (28), was a granthi who had been performing religious services at a gurudwara in the area, according to police.His father, also a granthi, had shifted to Paddi Soora Singh from UP around six months ago at the request of Satinder Singh and began performing duties at Gurudwara Kutia Sahib.Police said Jaspal was offering religious services at Gurudwara Sangra near Kitna village and was residing there with his wife, Lovepreet Kaur.According to the complaint, Satinder Singh, along with the other accused granthis and some unidentified persons, allegedly visited Jaspal on the morning of June 9 and demanded a share in religious programmes, including ‘Akhand Path’ and ‘Sehaj Path’, conducted in the area.When Jaspal allegedly refused, the accused threatened and harassed him, police said.They also allegedly accused him of committing sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib and questioned his ability to perform religious duties. The accused also threatened him with serious consequences, police said.According to the police, Jaspal, distressed by the alleged harassment, consumed a poisonous substance on the evening of June 12 and died.Based on the statement of the deceased’s father, Mahilpur police registered a case and arrested the six accused.Further investigation is underway, police said.(With inputs from PTI)
