Punjab Police to investigate sacrilege cases in new way; SOP issued

April 20, 2026

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has approved the ‘Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Bill 2026,’ and the bill passed by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha against sacrilege has now become a law. Now the Punjab Police will investigate sacrilege cases in a completely new way. Now it will be mandatory for the officers to follow complete religious etiquette at the scene of the incident. The scope of this investigation has now been extended to include funding through cryptocurrency, cross-border conspiracy, and setting up a psychological board for mentally unstable accused.

New SoPs issued for Punjab Police 

The Punjab Bureau of Investigation has issued a comprehensive ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ which is quite different and advanced from the investigation of conventional crimes. It makes it necessary for the police to handle the ‘Angas’ (sacred forms) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with complete devotion and etiquette.

This etiquette should start from the very first moment the police reach the spot. Along with this, it has now been made mandatory for the police to investigate digital money (cryptocurrency) on the internet, check the mental state of the accused, and identify fake videos or images (deepfakes) created through artificial intelligence.

Two security cordons to be created 

The police will have to create two security cordons at the scene of the incident, in which one inner cordon will be to keep the evidence safe and the other outer cordon will be to keep the crowd under control. The help of religious leaders and local Gurdwara committees will be taken from the very beginning of the investigation so that the sacred images can be taken care of with all due respect. It will also be mandatory to do high-quality photography and videography before collecting evidence.

Investigation of Digital Sacrilege 

A separate section has been added to the investigation for sacrilege committed through the internet (digital sacrilege). Photo manipulation, fake but real videos, sacrilege through memes, and such content posted on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram will now be considered very serious crimes. Police officers have been ordered to identify the URL address, time of post, post ID and mobile or computer used before asking companies like Meta, X, and YouTube to remove such content.

Action if the accused is mentally ill or unstable 

If an accused shows signs of being mentally ill or unstable, a special board of expert psychiatrists will be formed to examine him. This board will determine whether the person was aware of the consequences of his actions and, most importantly, whether anyone else incited him to do so.

Along with this, it will now be mandatory for the investigating officers to examine the transactions of Bitcoin and other digital currencies (cryptocurrencies) so that it can be known whether money was sent from abroad for sacrilege. It has been specifically said to use modern technological tools like chain analysis and bubble maps to help in this complex investigation.

Rules regarding Court Proceedings 

The new rules have also been tightened regarding court proceedings. As soon as the charge sheet is filed, the investigating officer will have to send a proposal for sanction to prosecute immediately. A time limit has been fixed for completing the investigation quickly.

If the punishment for the crime is more than 7 years, then the investigation will have to be completed within 90 days, and in other cases, within 60 days. The special thing is that these rules will also apply to those accused who are out on bail.

To get digital evidence obtained from CCTV footage or social media admissible in the court, it will now be necessary to give a certificate as per Section 63 of the ‘Indian Evidence Act, 2023’. Apart from this, charge sheets will now be filed in the court electronically (scanned, indexed, and in PDF format).

Balance between Science and Religious sentiments 

PBI Director LK Yadav said that the biggest need of the day is to strike a balance between scientific clarity (forensic accuracy) and religious sentiments (maryada) in investigating such cases. He added that the investigation should be carried out in a completely impartial and transparent manner, not hastily or on the basis of mere speculation.