Chandigarh: A concerning picture of justice delivery has emerged in Punjab, with only 7% conviction in sacrilege cases registered between 2015 and 2026.<\/p>\n
According to Punjab Police data, out of 597 cases registered over the past 11 years, only 44 have resulted in conviction. In contrast, 99 cases ended in acquittal, 83 were cancelled during investigation, 37 were dismissed by courts, and 102 remain untraced.<\/p>\n
The low conviction rate became a key basis for recent amendments to the Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act passed in the Assembly.<\/p>\n
Police records further show that out of 791 accused identified, the identity of 192 could never be clearly established.<\/p>\n
A study by the Punjab Bureau of Investigation found that nearly 70% of cases failed in court due to lack of evidence. Major reasons included witnesses turning hostile or not appearing in court, technical lapses such as delayed CCTV collection and poor crime scene preservation, and FIRs being filed under public pressure without strong evidence.<\/p>\n
The report also highlighted a mental health dimension, noting that 15\u201330% of accused in various districts were found mentally unstable. In such cases, courts often ordered treatment instead of punishment. Delays in mental evaluation and lack of standard protocols further slowed proceedings, while 32 accused died during trial.<\/p>\n
Even in cases where convictions were secured, sentences were relatively mild. Most punishments ranged between 60 days and six months, with only a few cases resulting in stricter sentences of five to seven years.<\/p>\n
The investigation bureau has recommended measures such as mandatory videography of crime scenes, fast-track courts, and stronger witness protection mechanisms.<\/p>\n
The report concludes that the low conviction rate is not due to lack of legal provisions, but due to investigative gaps and systemic delays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chandigarh: A concerning picture of justice delivery has emerged in Punjab, with only 7% conviction in sacrilege cases registered between 2015 and 2026. According to Punjab Police data, out of 597 cases registered over the past 11 years, only 44 have resulted in conviction. In contrast, 99 cases ended in acquittal, 83 were cancelled during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,20],"tags":[14365,14364],"class_list":["post-63592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-punjab","tag-data-exposes-gaps-in-probe-and-prosecution","tag-only-7-conviction-in-punjab-sacrilege-cases-since-2015"],"yoast_head":"\n