Patiala, July 15 -- A 45-year-old daily-wage labourer, out on bail while facing trial in a 2020 sacrilege case, was hacked to death inside his house at Ladpur Tooran village near Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib district late on Monday, the police said. The victim, Mewa Singh, had recently been released on bail and had resumed work as a daily-wage labourer. Sacrilege has been a sensitive issue, with the Punjab government having enacted a tougher new anti-sacrilege law earlier this year. Prior to it, the state recorded several incidents where individuals accused of sacrilege were attacked before their trials could be completed. In Monday's case, according to the police, an unidentified assailant entered Singh's residence around midnight and attacked him with a sharp-edged weapon before fleeing the spot. Following the incident, reports surfaced on social media claiming that Singh had been beheaded. However, the police ruled out decapitation, stating the victim sustained multiple injuries inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon. The district senior superintendent of police (SSP) Shubham Aggarwal said the motive behind the murder remains unknown, but an investigation has been launched to examine all possible angles. The police are probing whether the killing was linked to the pending sacrilege case or driven by another motive. After receiving information, the police rushed to the village, cordoned off the area, and shifted the body for a post-mortem examination. A forensic science team also examined the crime scene and collected evidence. Investigators are scanning CCTV footage from nearby areas, questioning local residents, and gathering technical evidence to identify the attacker. Singh was facing trial for his alleged involvement in a 2020 sacrilege incident at a gurdwara in Ladpur Tooran village. Earlier this year, the Punjab government enacted the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026. The law prescribes stringent punishment, including life imprisonment, for acts of sacrilege involving the Guru Granth Sahib. The law was introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party government following long-standing demands for tougher punishments in sacrilege cases....