Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran authorities deny any sexual assault activity inside the temple

The Surrey RCMP, on Wednesday, issued a statement informing residents about arrest of a 58-year-old man for alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl at or in the area of Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran located in the 15200-block of 68 Avenue.
The police further said that the suspect is an employee at the temple.
The temple authorities have expressed concern about the incidents and said they were co-operating with the police investigations, however have denied that any such incident of assault took place with in Gurdwara Sahib premises.
Gurudwara’s president and caretaker Giani Narinder Singh, issued a video message asking public not to spread rumours about sexual assault incident taking place inside the temple. Singh denied, without revealing the identity of the suspect, that the suspect was a Gurudwara employee. “The person volunteers at the temple like many others. We call someone a Gurudwara’s employee if he has sponsorship from us or if he is on a pay roll. The person in question is on a visitor visa and lives with his daughter.”
Singh said that the police also claim that the incident happened between 6:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. He said, “We have security and cameras at every corner of the temple. The girl entered the temple at 7.30 and every moment of the victim is recorded from the time she entered and left the temple. We are unaware of any incident if it took place outside the temple.”
Singh further added that the Gurudwara is cooperating with police in this investigation. He said they have asked the suspect not to continue with the volunteer services at the temple.
The police received a report that a 15-year-old female youth had been sexually assaulted at or in the area of the Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran, Cpl. Sarbjit K. Sangha Media Relation Officer of Surrey RCMP, said.
Surrey RCMP Special Victims Unit has conduct of the investigation and identified a suspect, who was arrested on May 5, 2023.
The police added that the male suspect has been released on conditions, including no contact with the victim and not to be in the presence of anyone under the age of 16-year-old without another adult present.
Police are asking for anyone with additional information, including those who may have been at the Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran on May 4, 2023 between 6:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. to contact police and quote file number 2023-69537.
Our Special Victims Unit are leading this investigation, with support for the youth victim from Surrey Women’s Centre, says Cpl. Sarbjit K. Sangha Media Relation Officer of Surrey RCMP. We urge anyone with information to come forward, as investigators continue to work to gather evidence and advance the investigation.