Main News Page

Sikh missionary wins dispute with San Jose temple leaders

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_27069511/sikh-wins-freedom-speech-dispute-san-jose-temple

by Joe Rodriguez Posted:   12/05/2014 07:49:01 AM PST
408-920-5767 jrodriguez@mercurynews.com, Twitter.com/joerodmercury

SAN JOSE-- A Sikh missionary beat back a lawsuit filed against him by leaders of the largest Sikh temple in North America after he criticized them on social media.

A Santa Clara County Superior Court jury Tuesday decided in favor of Kalwant Singh, whose Facebook posts alleged the leaders of Sikh Gurdwara Sahib San Jose were violating religious principles, including allowing alcohol and smoking on the grounds, and mismanaging the temple's finances.

Singh, a truck driver, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. However, a friend and ally, Tarlochan Singh, said Kalwant Singh was relieved and elated after the verdict.

"He stuck to his guns," Tarlochan Singh said in a telephone interview. "He said he was not going to give up his freedom of speech and he didn't."

Kalwant Singh's vindication goes beyond one court case and church infighting. The massive temple that rises majestically in the East Hills has become a battleground over power, money, accountability and basic Sikh principles.

Tarlochan Singh, a professor of pharmacology, said the same group tried to sue him for libel after he was quoted in a 2009 story in this newspaper about members' resentment over the leadership's alleged fiscal mismanagement, secrecy, political-back-stabbing, assault and suppression of speech.
Advertisement

Temple leadership, led by Bhuphindar "Bob" Dhillon, filed a libel suit against Kalwant Singh in the summer of 2012 and asked the court for $1.2 million in damages. Dhillon and his attorney could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Where Kalwant Singh's writings appeared was disputed in court. Dhillon's group said they appeared on Facebook and the Amristar Times, a Punjabi-language newspaper. Kalwant Singh's attorney, James D. Biernat, of Burlingame, said Singh denies authoring the newspaper articles, though he admitted writing the Facebook posts.

The temple was built in two phases. The first phase, about 20,000 square-feet, was completed in 2004. The second phase was completed in April 2011, making it the largest Sikh temple in North America at 90,000 square feet. About 20,000 people attended on opening day.