On Sunday (April 19), a scuffle at a German gurdwara left 11 injured, triggering a major police operation. The brawl at a Sikh temple in Moers, North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany, involved more than 40 people, according to preliminary reports, a German newspaper, Bild reported.

At least one suspect has been detained. The exact cause of the violent clash has not yet been ascertained. Police forces are working to determine the instigator of the attack.

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We take a look.

What happened?

On Sunday afternoon, the confrontation started and quickly escalated further, with one group allegedly carrying out a coordinated attack. Over 40 people involved in the clash reportedly carried pepper spray, knives, kirpans, and a firearm.

A long-standing internal dispute within the gurdwara community is believed to be the cause of the violence. The differences centred on committee control, influence, and alleged financial disagreements.

After the violence erupted, several worshippers at the gurdwara panicked and fled the scene in fear.

People are reported with head injuries primarily. However, some other media reports suggest that fewer confirmed cases, around three to four people, with minor cuts and wounds to the head or legs.

Paramedics, along with an emergency physician, provided immediate medical care at the spot.

What eyewitnesses said

Eyewitnesses claimed that the brawl stemmed from disputes over the gurdwara’s finances and management. However, German police have yet to confirm the exact cause of the clash.

According to a 56-year-old eyewitness, the assault appeared planned, Bild reported. “Shortly before the prayer service, attackers used pepper spray, then one fired a pistol. I also saw knives,” the eyewitness told the news outlet.

“The background is a dispute between former committee members and the current ones. It also involves money belonging to the community. There have been problems and trouble for quite some time. But mainly it’s about influence and who has the say here in the temple,” the witness added.

“When the attack began, many fled the temple in panic; it could have ended much worse. Fortunately, no one’s life is in danger.”

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Another eyewitness also described the chaos while speaking to German newspaper Neue Ruhr Zeitung (NRZ). “Several people ran out of the building, some of them barefoot,” the witness said.

An independent journalist, Ravinder Singh Robin, posted on X, citing a person at the scene, that the violent clash allegedly took place over disputes about “the gurdwara’s golak.” Golak is a donation box installed at gurdwaras mainly to keep gifts, offerings, and financial contributions.

Shocking scenes from Gurdwara in Duisburg, Germany: Sikhs fighting inside, turbans in the air, kirpans (meant to protect the weak) turned on each other. A person in the video says it started over Golak (our religious offerings!) and The previous management, who lost the election,… pic.twitter.com/pS3wFkuKdg

— Ravinder Singh Robin (@rsrobin1) April 20, 2026

According to Robin, a person in the video claimed that the institution’s previous management, which lost the election, returned forcefully to take over the gurdwara’s administration.

Another journalist and author, Man Aman Singh Chhina, later described the incident as a “shameful clash.”

A shameful clash broke out in a Gurdwara in Moers city of Germany in the Ruhr industrial heartland. Turbans were tossed and Kirpans were used to attack each other in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib.
Special German riot police-SEK-had to be called in by the local authorities. pic.twitter.com/uKw9CuHeqf

— Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) April 20, 2026Where does the investigation stand?

Police quickly launched a large-scale operation after the scuffle broke out. Around 100 officers, including a Special Task Force (SEK) unit from Düsseldorf, cordoned off the building after reports of gunfire, Bild reported.

Heavily armed personnel acted swiftly, taking positions while a helicopter provided support from above.

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Fearing concerns that an armed suspect might be inside, authorities sealed off the gurdwara before SEK officers, equipped with submachine guns, moved in to storm the premises. However, no gunman was found.

Officials probing the matter are working to reconstruct the entire sequence of events to determine those responsible. The firearm has not yet been recovered. However, initial evidence–including cartridge cases found at the scene–indicates it may have been a blank-firing weapon, the media outlet reported.

According to authorities, the probe underway in the matter addresses both the violence and the deeper dispute over the gurdwara’s governance and finances. “Proceeding in all directions,” a police spokesperson told NRZ regarding the ongoing investigation.

With inputs from agencies

First Published:
April 21, 2026, 07:43 IST

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