CBI likely to probe Punjab desecration case

Amidst escalating tension in Punjab over a number of incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, the Punjab government may soon hand over the investigation into the Bargari village (Faridkot) incident to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The two accused brothers, Jaswinder and Rupinder, arrested on 20 October, had on 31 October refused to undergo a lie-detector test, leaving the government no option but to hand over the case to the CBI. The two were arrested in connection with the incident of a desecrated Guru Granth Sahib being found in Bargari on 12 October - the first of a series of similar incidents.

According to the Chandigarh Tribune, the Panthic bodies are adamant on unconditional release of the accused and are proving a hindrance to the probe, the police said. A few Panthic groups have reportedly decided to raise the Khalistan agenda once again at Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar.

A team of special investigating officers have expressed their helplessness in conducting the investigations citing the interference of the radicals.