A Nihang was arrested after he allegedly killed an unidentified man on the premises of a gurdwara here on Tuesday for ”trying to commit” sacrilege, police said.
The man, identified as Ramandeep Singh, posted a video on social media in which he took responsibility for the killing and also claimed that he acted in self-defence.
Nihangs are members of a Sikh sect and usually wear blue robes and carry traditional weapons.
Following the incident, senior police officials, including additional director general of police Gurinder Singh Dhillon, rushed to the historic Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Chaura Khooh here.
The victim was in his 20s and his body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, police said.
Speaking to reporters, the Nihang claimed that he acted in self-defence after he was attacked by the unidentified man.
While the Nihang has been booked under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, section 295A (outraging religious feelings) of the IPC has also been invoked against the man who was killed.
On the complaint of gurdwara manager Narinder Singh, an FIR has been registered against the victim, police said.
The complaint said the unidentified man had entered the gurdwara at around 10 pm on Monday and was found hiding in a bathroom at around 2 am.
When the Nihang, who was staying in the gurdwara, confronted the man, he allegedly claimed that someone had given him money for carrying out desecration, which had been “foiled.”
Kapurthala senior superintendent of police Vatsala Gupta said an investigation was underway.
