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Investigation of offences, AB. Classification of offences. 5.Punishment. 6.Protectin of action taken in good faith. 7.Repeal and saving. THE JAAGAT JOT SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB SATKAR ACT, 2008 (Punjab Act No. 21 of 2008) [Received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 9thJune, 2008, and was first published for general information in the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Legislative Supplement, dated the 20th June, 2008.] 1 2 3 4 Year No. Short title Whether repealed or otherwise affected by the legislation 2008 21 The Jaagat Jot Sri} Amended by Punjab Guru Granth Sahib | Act No. 07 of 2008. Satkar Act, 2008. An Act ‘Sto provide for the prevention of printing, publication, storage, distribution or supply of the Saroops of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib by any person, other than the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee or anybody, authorized by it with a view to ensure their sanctity and respect in accordance with the Sikh Rehat Maryada, and to define and penalise the acts of sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib and to provide a deterrent framework against the acts of sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto ;] Whereas it has been felt that while printing, publishing, storing, distributing and supplying the 7(Saroops] of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib, private persons are committing grammatical errors and misprinting the proper words and are not following the * Substituted by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 3(i). * Substitution of words "Bir" and "Birs" by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 2. Short title and commencement. Sikh Rehat Maryada and are thus hurting the religious feelings of the Sikh masses; Whereas the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is an esteemed and apex body of the Sikh masses and has recognition all over the world and is vested with the duty of due observance of the Sikh Rehat Maryada in all respects and therefore, it should be entrusted exclusively with the pious work of printing, publication, storage, distribution and supply of the ' [Saroops] of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib; Whereas it has been felt that incidents of sacrilege of the ?/Saroops] of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib at the time of their printing, publication, storage, distribution and supply by private persons have increased manifold; 4[Whereas it has also been felt that incidents of deliberate sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib have increased Manifold;] And whereas in these circumstances, it is deemed expedient that a law should be made to prevent the printing, publication, storage, distribution or supplying of the *(Saroops] of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib by the private persons */, And to deter the unscrupulous elements from any act of sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib. / BE it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Fifty- eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:- I. (1) This Act may be called the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008. * Substitution of words "Bir" and "Birs" by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 2. * Substitution of words "Bir" and "Birs" by ibid. * Inserted by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 3(ii). * Substitution of words "Bir" and "Birs" by ibid. ° Substituted and added by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 3(iii). Definitions. 2 (2) (1) It shall come into force at once. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires.- (a) “[(aa) (b) “[(ba) (bb) "![Saroops] of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib" means the holy scripture of the Sikhs, printed in any size or form and bound in one single volume, which is regarded as Word incarnate, the embodiment and presence manifest or spirit of the Ten Sikh Gurus; "custodian" means any individual, institution, or Gurdwara Committee to whom a Saroop of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth has been formally supplied and / or who is responsible for the protection of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib and observance of prescribed Sikh Rehat Maryada;] "Deputy Commissioner" means an Officer-in- charge of a district, who is appointed as such by the State Government; *[** ] "records" means all records maintained manually or electronically relating to the printing, publication, storage, distribution, and supply of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib; "sacrilege of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib" for the purposes of this Act means any wilful and deliberate act, committed with the intent of desecration by way of physical damaging, defacing, burning, tearing or theft of the Saroop(s) of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib or part thereof, or by words, either spoken or written, or by signs * Substitution of words "Bir" and "Birs" by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 2. 2 Inserted by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section A(i). * Omitted word "and" by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section 4(ii). “Inserted by Punjab Act No.7 of 2026, section A(ii) Printing, publication, storage, distribution and supplying of the '[Saroops] of Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib. or by visible representations or through electronic means or otherwise, which is of such nature as to hurt the religious feelings of persons professing the Sikh faith;] and (c) "Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee" means the Committee, named as such by the Board, constituted under the provisions of Part Third of the Sikh Gudwaras Act, 1925. (2) The words and expressions used in this Act, but not defined, shall have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.