5 ‘birs’ gutted near Hoshiarpur

FIRE AT GURDWARA IS SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED BY SHORTCIRCUIT, POLICE RULE OUT FOUL PLAY

HOSHIARPUR: Fire suspected to be triggered by a short-circuit gutted five holy scriptures of Guru Granth Sahib at a gurdwara in Dihana village, 35 km from here, on Tuesday. Police have ruled out foul play.

The fire broke out around 11am when no one was present in the gurdwara. The granthi (priest) was reportedly resting in his room. A passerby saw the flames and alerted the villagers. Before the fire brigade could reach from Hoshiarpur, people had doused the flames.

Gurdwara president Barinder Singh said four ‘birs’ kept in the 'sukh asan' (resting room) and one in the main hall were burnt. Besides, 'palkis', robes and other articles were also reduced to ashes, he said.

“The fire is understood to have started in the resting room due to a short-circuit and then spread to the main hall. Three air-conditioners and a dozen fans have also been destroyed,” he said.

Ranjit Kaur, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member from Mahilpur, and Satkar Committee members visited the site. “The burnt scriptures will be sent to Goindwal Sahib,” said Kaur.

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