Rajveer Raj Singh Gill was arrested in California for allegedly attempting to hire a mercenary to shoot several people and burn down a prominent gurdwara. , Photo Credit: ANI
According to media reports, a 60-year-old Indian-origin Sikh man in California has been arrested in the US for allegedly attempting to hire a man to shoot several people and burn down a prominent gurdwara.
Former Bakersfield City Council candidate Rajveer Raj Singh Gill was charged with targeting one of Bakersfield’s largest Sikh places of worship, Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Khalsa Durbar, and burning property on March 4, reports Bakersfield.com. Was arrested on the charge.
The report said Mr Gill was arrested on six counts of criminal intimidation after authorities executed a search warrant at his residence.
The Bakersfield Police Department said that in addition to offering someone money in exchange for burning down the gurdwara, Mr. Gill tried to pay to shoot people with whom he was having a dispute. 23abc.com Portal reported.
Mr. Gill had attempted to run for City Council Ward 7 in 2022 against Manpreet Kaur. The report said Ms. Kaur won the election and was the first Sikh Punjabi woman elected to the Bakersfield City Council.
Ms. Kaur, who won the seat from Ward 7, released the following statement: “I am aware of the alleged allegations. I am confident that the Bakersfield Police Department is working diligently to keep our community safe and will address the matter accordingly. This The news is distressing and horrifying to hear. This is one of our most visited Sikh shrines locally. It is heartbreaking and unfathomable to hear of the alleged attempt to destroy a place of worship.”
“He hired people. The people he hired came and told us and they reported to the police. So, the police called us and they got our information and everything and asked questions and we told them That’s what’s going on, and that’s when everything happened,” said Amrik Singh Athwal, a member of the temple board.
A spokeswoman for the Bakersfield Police Department declined Tuesday to say what might have led Gill to do the actions he is accused of, and would not elaborate on the case.
A temple elder said Tuesday that Mr. Gill had appeared at the property in recent months to disrupt prayers and threaten members of the congregation, and at one point carrying a gun before being arrested. There is no record of his arrest before Saturday.
The elder, Sukhwinder Singh Rangi, blamed repeated conflicts over a dispute over $800,000, contributed by members of the congregation, to be reimbursed to a corporate entity set up to buy the temple from foreclosure in July 2020. Had to do
“It is greed that is most likely,” said Mr. Rangi. bakersfield.com.
Mr. Rangi said the temple learned that Mr. Gil had offered two Hispanic men $10,000 to kill some leaders of the congregation who were involved in court cases, including Mr. Rangi. They said Mr Gill drove men around town, pointing out the houses of temple leaders he wanted to kill. This information was received by the temple leadership from an associate of the wanted hitman.
With over 500 members, Martyr is one of the best Sikh temples in Bakersfield. It hosts an annual festival in late October that attracts thousands of people.