Woman Shot Dead for Drinking Alcohol Near Place of Worship

A woman was fatally shot for allegedly drinking alcohol near a Sikh temple by an enraged devotee who said she offended his "religious sentiments," according to police.

Parvinder Kaur, 35, was allegedly intoxicated and had refused to stop drinking when confronted by staff at a gurdwara on Sunday night in the city of Patiala in Punjab, northwest India. She had been accused of drinking by the temple's sarovar, a holy pond, at around 10 p.m. local time. However, the argument escalated and a scuffle broke out when she allegedly lunged at the staff from the Dukh Niwaran Sahib gurdwara, The Times of India reported. The workers restrained her and called the police, but she was allegedly murdered by a worshipper just as the officers were leading her away from the scene.

India is home to many faiths, including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, but the country's religious landscape has become increasingly polarized in recent years, sparking calls for strengthened inter-faith bonds as well as religious tolerance for others who may not share the same beliefs.

The suspect accused of killing Kaur was identified by officials as Nirmaljit Singh Saini. Saini allegedly shot off five rounds, several of which hit and killed Kaur and one of which struck bystander Sagar Kumar, who was hospitalized at Rajindra Hospital Patiala and is expected to survive.

Saini, a property dealer with no previous criminal record, surrendered on the spot and handed over his licensed revolver to officers, Indian news channel NDTV reported. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.

Patiala's Senior Superintendent of Police, Varun Sharma, told The Times of India: "The accused opened fire in the heat of the moment as he claimed his religious sentiments were hurt."

Officers were still working to establish where Kaur was from originally, although it's thought she had been living in Patiala recently. "So far, none of her family members have reached us," Sharma said, adding that Kaur is thought to have been suffering from alcoholism.

"During preliminary investigation it has come to light that Parvinder Kaur was addicted to liquor and had also remained admitted for some time to a de-addiction center in the factory area of Patiala," he said.

Meanwhile, a prescription found amongst her belongings contained a note from a doctor saying she suffered from mood swings and depression, Sharma added.

Newsweek has reached out to the Patiala police by email seeking further information and comment.