Damage to religious books in Punjab would now be punishable office and maximum punishment can be up to life imprisonment 

The Punjab Cabinet approved amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to make sacrilege of religious texts punishable with life imprisonment.

The government has taken a major step towards curbing such incidents and maintaining communal harmony in the state, an official spokesperson said. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

The Cabinet has approved insertion of section 295AA to the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to provide that – whoever causes injury, damage or sacrilege to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Geeta, Holy Quran and Holy Bible with the intention to hurt the religious feelings of the people, shall be punished with imprisonment for life.

The Cabinet has given its nod to the introduction of The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the Indian Penal Code (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2018, in the ensuing session of Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the spokesperson said.