18-year-old youth held for ‘disrespecting’ Bible, theft

TARN TARAN: The police claimed to have arrested an 18-year-old youth for allegedly disrespecting the Bible and stealing from a slum in grain market, Patti, 25 km from here, on Friday. The accused has been identified as Vishal.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Tarn Taran DS Mann said the accused barged into one Meenu Masih’s dwelling and decamped with a bag containing the Bible, cash and some mobile phones.

“The accused has been living in the slum from last seven years. Meanwhile, few people from Amritsar shifted here only 15 days back,” he said.

SSP said that the accused Vishal threw the Bible in shrubs. On Friday morning, Meenu Masih,32, noticed the theft, he said.

While searching for his bag Meenu found the holy book in shrubs, near his dwelling but failed to recover the bag, the SSP said.

The police reached the spot after getting information. On probing the cops arrested Vishal who confessed to the crime.

A case under Sections 295 A (liberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the culprit.

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY VENTS OUT ANGER

Tension prevailed for some time in Patti after the holy book was found from shrubs. Members of Christian community reached the spot and vent out their anger. Pastor Matti Das alleged, “One Darshan Singh of Patti had incited Vishal, who is a minor, for the theft.” Though the police have arrested the main accused but no action has been taken against Darshan from whose house mobile phones and offerings were recovered, said Das. “We have found two torn pages from the Bible. Action should be taken against Darshan,” he said.