Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Slashed In Face With Sword In Queens Sikh Dispute
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 25, 2011
Modified Apr 25, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 25, 2011
Modified Apr 25, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Amidst concerns of another Easter wilding in Times Square, violence ended up breaking out this Easter in an unlikely place: Inside the Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center in Queens. Seven men were arrested there yesterday after a dispute in the center's leadership led a man to be slashed in the face with a 40" sword, while others were attacked with cricket bats and balls.
The Post reports the dispute hinges around "the old guard that had been recently voted out of power but refused to accept the decision, even going to court to challenge the election." According to the new temple President Gurmej Singh the fight is, at its core, about financial mismanagement from the previous regime.
Though police were outside the temple in an effort to prevent the violence, the attackers managed to get their hammers, cricket bats and balls and either one or two swords past them and waited to let loose until they were inside. "We just went to pray," M.K. Singh, who received stitches and staples to close a head wound said. "We walked inside, and they started attacking. They cut me. They tried to cut my arm off, but the sword got caught on [something]. I'm very lucky." Eventually three people were reported injured, including a cop.
In the end, seven people were arrested and now face charges ranging from assault to unlawful assembly, resisting arrest, rioting, and disrupting a religious service. But this may not be the end of it. According to Singh, the disgruntled deposed are already planning to disrupt services again next week.
Tagged
baba makhan shah lubana sikh center
cricket
queens
religious dispute
Sikhs
sword attack
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. ET
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
News
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
Critics say the moratorium harms businesses in neighborhoods without a tradition of street fairs.
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
By
Mike Hayes
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .