WernerStoate3 at 15:36, 14 August 2025

2025-08-14T15:36:23Z

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{{short description|Lynchings for sacrilege in Punjab}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = 2021 lynchings in Punjab, India
| image =
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| alt =
| caption =
| map = {{Location map|India Punjab|lat=31.62|long=74.88|caption=}}
| coordinates = {{coord|31|37|14|N|74|52|50|E|scale:4000|display=inline,title}}
| location = [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[India]]
| date = 18–19 December 2021
| time =
| timezone =
| type = [[Lynching]]
| weapons =
| fatalities = 2
| perpetrators = Sikh mobs
| motive =
| convicted =
| charges =
| module =
}}
The '''2021 lynchings in Punjab, India'''<ref name=NewYorkTimes1>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-19|title=2 Lynchings Reported at Sikh Temples in India|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/19/world/asia/sikh-temples-lynching.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-19|website=NY Times|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219174637/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/19/world/asia/sikh-temples-lynching.html |archive-date=19 December 2021 }}</ref> refers to the widely reported [[lynching]] incidents that occurred on 18-19 December 2021, at two [[Sikh]] temples in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], [[India]] in which enraged mobs killed 2 men in response to alleged acts of sacrilege.<ref name=BBC1 >{{Cite web|date=2021-12-19|title=Man beaten to death for 'sacrilege' attempt at Sikh Golden Temple in India|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-59715937|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-20|website=BBC|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219025743/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-59715937 |archive-date=19 December 2021 }}</ref>

== Lynching incidents ==

=== First Incident (18 December) ===
The first incident took place on 18 December 2021 at the [[Amritsar]] [[Golden Temple]], the holiest shrine for Sikhs, when a man barged into the inner sanctum, where Sikhism's holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is kept.<ref name="NewYorkTimes1"></ref> The man grabbed a ceremonial sword placed next to the holy book; but was overpowered by Sikh guards and worshippers, and then beaten to death before the police arrived at the scene.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-19|title=Indian man beaten to death inside historic Sikh temple|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/indian-man-beaten-death-historic-sikh-temple-rcna9325|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-20|website=NBC News|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220110736/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/indian-man-beaten-death-historic-sikh-temple-rcna9325 |archive-date=20 December 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-19|title=Golden Temple lynching: Dark days could revisit Punjab|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/golden-temple-lynching-dark-days-could-revisit-punjab-1062443.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-20|website=DH|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219092343/https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/golden-temple-lynching-dark-days-could-revisit-punjab-1062443.html |archive-date=19 December 2021 }}</ref>

=== Second Incident (19 December) ===
The second lynching incident took place in the early hours of 19 December 2021, when a mentally challenged man who was hungry stole a chapati from the gurudwara kitchen. Police found no evidence of sacrilege and also arrested people on murder charges.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kapurthala lynching a planned murder|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-kapurthala-lynching-a-planned-murder-police-say-no-evidence-of-sacrilege/407144/amp|url-status=live|date=2021-12-29|access-date=2021-12-29|first1=Ashutosh|last1=Sharma|work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125075426/https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-kapurthala-lynching-a-planned-murder-police-say-no-evidence-of-sacrilege/407144/amp |archive-date=25 January 2022 }}</ref> The Kapurthala police claimed as per preliminary investigations, it seemed to be a case of theft and there was no evidence of sacrilege.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-19|title=2nd Lynching In Punjab Over Theft, Not Sacrilege, Say Cops|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/2nd-punjab-lynching-over-alleged-sacrilege-probe-team-formed-10-facts-2659846|access-date=2021-12-20|website= NDTV|language=en }}</ref>

== Response ==
The Punjab Police reported that the victims remained unidentified as the Police did not find any Identity Card with them, but attempts were on to identify them by reviewing the security footage of the shrines. <ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-12-20|title=Golden Temple sacrilege suspect's photo released|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/sacrilege-slain-suspect-booked-for-murder-bid-352207|access-date=2021-10-16|newspaper=Tribune India|language=en}}</ref>
Meanwhile, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh condemned the "sacrilege" attempt at the Golden Temple and sought a thorough investigation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-20|title=Akal Takht Investigate, expose forces behind sacrilege|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/takht-investigate-expose-forces-352200|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220003140/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/takht-investigate-expose-forces-352200 |archive-date=20 December 2021 }}</ref>
Further, some intellectuals have noted that the silence of most political leaders on the lynching of the alleged culprits at the holy shrines of the Sikhs, was disturbing.<ref >{{Cite web|date=2021-12-20|title=Sacrilege attempt is heinous but leaders not calling lynching by its name shrinks space for conversations Punjab needs|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/golden-temple-lynch-sacrilege-silent-7680770/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-20|website=The Indian Express|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220141010/https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/golden-temple-lynch-sacrilege-silent-7680770/ |archive-date=20 December 2021 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[2021 Singhu border lynching]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Lynching in India}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Punjab, India lynchings, 2021}}
[[Category:2021 murders in India]]
[[Category:Attacks in India in 2021]]
[[Category:Lynching deaths in India]]
[[Category:December 2021 in India]]
[[Category:December 2021 crimes in Asia]]
[[Category:Sikhism-related controversies]]
[[Category:Deaths by beating]]
[[Category:Sikh terrorism in India]]
[[Category:People murdered in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:History of Amritsar]]

2021 lynchings in Punjab India - Revision history

WernerStoate3 at 15:36, 14 August 2025