NORTH HOLLYWOOD: A judge ordered control of a faction ridden Sikh temple in North Hollywood returned to its directors Oct26, setting the stage for the expulsion and possible arrest of dissidents who had refused to leave the sanctuary.

On Tuesday, a dozen worshipers continued to pray inside the Sikh Gurdwara temple, as they have for two weeks, some said they would comply with any court order, but others said they would allow themselves to be arrested as a form of peaceful protest.

“We told the police and the judge we are not bad people,” said Surinder Singh Sidhy, in an interview at the temple Tuesday night.

There has been no evidence at the temple since Oct.3, when several directors claimed that they were injured as factions battled physically for control of the structure.

It was the second temporary restraining order issued by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O’Brien in favor of the directors in the extraordinary dispute. Earlier, he had ordered to dissidents by name to leave the sanctuary, but when they complied, dozens more took their places.

“The judge is affirming the rights of our clients to exclude any and all trespassers from the property,” said Kathleen. A. Byrne, the lawyer representing the directors. But the lawyer representing those inside the temple said he would appeal on the grounds of religious freedom.

The unusual impasse partly reflects disputes over temple: finances and doctrine, according to members.

O’Brien scheduled a hearing on the overall dispute for Nov. 5, leaving the directors in charge until then,

In court, O’Brien told lawyers for both sides that the time had come to “prevent violence” and “preserve peace” until all legal questions could be resolved.

No Sikh would be deprived of religious rights because each can worship at other Sikh temples, O’Brien said.

Putnam argued that granting the temporary restraining order would deprive his clients of their right to worship.

“They’re not trespassers, they’re worshippers,” Putnam said.

The violent potential of the religious dispute was described in court papers. Directors alleged that Jaspal K.Mann a member and wife of temple president Sarabjit S.Mann, had been attacked, threatened, assaulted and battered when a while car carrying five to seven passengers ted to nun into her car Friday morning as she pulled onto the Pomona Freeway,

Mann alleged in a declaration filed in support of the request for the court order that one of the passengers leaned out of the car, pointing a gun at her and gesturing at her to roll down her window. She identified the man as Majar Singh, a defendant in the law suit who she said threatened to kill Mann and her family if they did not back off the temple dispute, she stated in the declaration,

The driver of the white car subsequently tried again to ram into Mann’s car, directors alleged in court papers. Mann left the freeway and called Pomona police from a gas station, according to the declaration.

 

Maurice Schwarz, an attorney representing Majar Singh, said Singh is not the man described in the court papers. Majar Singh denied the threat, saying he was at the temple at the time. (Courtesy: LA Times).

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 5, 1993