A wild brawl erupted inside a Tauranga Sikh Temple which spilled over to a nearby mall which swords were allegedly used, and at least one person taken to hospital with injuries.
A wild brawl erupted inside a Tauranga Sikh Temple which spilled over to a nearby mall where swords and baseball bats were allegedly used, and at least one person was taken to hospital with injuries.
A police spokesman said police were investigating a disorder incident at a large community gathering and were seeking assistance from the public.
Police were notified of the incident on Cheyne Rd, Pyes Pa about 5.30pm on Saturday.
Later that evening, police were again called to a reported assault near a Pyes Pa mall where the fight spilled over.
According to a statement by the Tauranga Sikh Society, the temple on Cheyne Rd had been booked for a private function that evening.
A brawl at the Sikh temple in Tauranga left several injured. Photo / Supplied
It said there had been an ongoing management dispute at the temple for the past three years between two groups, each claiming management rights to the temple.
While members of one group were having a meeting, members from the other group started arriving.
Tensions escalated and a physical altercation broke out between the two groups.
The society alleged members from the other group “arrived with 40 to 50 people, some carrying weapons such as hockey sticks, rods, cutters, baseball bats and knuckles”.
After worshippers finished their prayers, a meeting was held between leaders of both groups.
“An agreement was drafted, but another member of the other party intervened, leading to a violent attack on our group, using knuckles and steel bangles,” it said.
“Worshippers intervened to protect themselves, resulting in injuries.”
Following the initial brawl, the society said the other party members continued to “harass and challenge us while armed with weapons in the car park”.
A society member said the fight eventually spilled over to the Pyes Pa Shopping Centre.
“Quite a few got injured and were bleeding,” he said.
Daljit Singh, president of the NZ Central Sikh Association, which is the other party involved in the management dispute, said the brawl started as a result of “a misunderstanding”.
Singh said the two parties were close to a management agreement on running the temple after discussions that had been going on since 2021.
“What happened on the day was that some people, who did not understand what had already been discussed, started showing their anger,” he said.
“We don’t condone any violence, and it’s unfortunate that something like this had to happen in our place of worship.
“Community leaders are trying to resolve this.”
Singh said his group will co-operate with police in their investigations, and hope those responsible for the attacks will be held accountable.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or has information, photos or videos that could assist with inquiries to contact them.
“A number of people were present at the time of the incident, and police believe photos or videos taken during the disorder could help with our inquiries,” police said.
A police spokesman said they had also received a report of an assault on Pyes Pa Rd just before 11pm that night.
