Venkat Raman
Auckland, July 26, 2024
A female devotee has filed a complaint with the New Zealand Police saying that she was assaulted at the Temple that she regularly visits and that she has been undergoing trauma and highly depressing emotions.
The woman, whom Indian Newslink has chosen to name later, told this Reporter that the incident occurred on Friday (July 19, 2024) at the Temple in front of other devotees.
“I took out my mobile camera to record the proceedings, whereupon this person (whom she named) started shouting, ‘You are not allowed to record here,’ and snatched the mobile telephone and threw it on the floor. This was witnessed by at least ten people. Apart from a minor injury that I sustained because of the way this person grabbed my telephone and along with it my arm, I have been suffering severe trauma and pain in my hand,” she said.
The devotee has recorded the incident and shared the video with Indian Newslink.
She said that she has registered a complaint with the Police and is expecting action.
In her complaint, she is reported to have said that she has also suffered humiliation, outrage of her modesty and physical and mental harm.
“I cannot imagine this happening in a Temple, which is a sacred place meant for peaceful prayers. I am now scared to go to that Temple for fear of being assaulted again. I certainly do not feel safe; the atmosphere there has become toxic,” she said.
We await further action from the New Zealand Police.
“Irregularities at the Temple”
She also mentioned of some ‘irregularities going on at the Temple.’
There have been some complaints in recent months that some of the activities of the Temple “do not align with its terms of reference,” “what is generally believed to be appropriate in a Temple,” and that “this place of worship is witnessing activities that should not be held at a Temple.”
Indian Newslink is still investigating these complaints and will publish a detailed report with the names of all the people involved including the identity of the victim of last week’s assault.
While we have the permission of the victim to name her, we have restrained from doing so in this report.
More to follow.
