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{{Infobox civilian attack
| title = Vienna temple attack
| partof =
| image =
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| location = [[Rudolfsheim]], [[Vienna]], [[Austria]]
| target = [[Dera Sach Khand]] followers
| coordinates =
| date = 24 May 2009
| time =
| timezone =
| type =
| fatalities = 1
| injuries = 17
| victim =
| perps =
| perp =
| perpetrators= [[Khalistan Zindabad Force]]
| perpetrator =
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| weapons =
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On Sunday 24 May 2009, several people in the Guru Ravidass Gurdwara in [[Vienna]], [[Austria]], were attacked by six men carrying knives and guns.<ref name="Page">{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7014101.ece | location=London | work=The Times | first=Jeremy | last=Page | title=Ravidassia sect sends shockwaves across worlds Sikh community | date=2010-02-04}}</ref> Two of the victims were identified as visiting [[Dera Sach Khand]] head Niranjan Dass,<ref name="Shri 108 Sant Rama Nand funeral">{{Cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-06-05/india/28165067_1_sect-head-dera-head-punjab|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024015443/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-06-05/india/28165067_1_sect-head-dera-head-punjab|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2012|title=Lakhs attend state funeral for Sant Ramanand|last=Singh|first=I P|date=5 June 2009|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=2009-06-05}}</ref> 68, and another leader, [[Rama Nand]],<ref name="Shri 108 Sant Rama Nand funeral" /> 57, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died the next day in hospital. At least 15 others were injured, including 4 of the attackers, who were in the end subdued by the other worshipers.<ref name=bbcaustria>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8066005.stm|title=Preacher dies after Vienna clash|date=25 May 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=2009-05-31}}</ref><ref name=nytaustria>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/world/asia/26india.html?_r=1%02scp=2%02sq=sikhs%02st=cse|title=Killing of Sikh Leader Sets Off Riots in India|last=POLGREEN|first=LYDIA|date=May 25, 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=2009-05-31}}</ref><ref name=timesonlineaustria>{{Cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6359288.ece|title=Riots after Sikh guru Sant Rama Nand shot dead in Vienna |date=May 25, 2009 |work=The Times|access-date=2009-05-31 | location=London | first=Jeremy | last=Page}}</ref> It was described as a [[terrorist attack]] committed by Sikh fundamentalists.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vienna.at/chronik-terroranschlaege-in-oesterreich-mit-toedlichem-ausgang/4209550|title = Chronik: Terroranschläge in Österreich mit tödlichem Ausgang|date = 20 January 2015}}</ref> The incident sparked riots across northern [[India]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8066783.stm |title=South Asia | Punjab riots after Vienna killing |work=BBC News |date=2009-05-25 |access-date=2009-08-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20090525&fname=punjab&sid=1 |title=From Vienna To Jalandhar |publisher=www.outlookindia.com |access-date=2009-08-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6359288.ece |access-date=May 30, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5hL26FVon?url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6359288.ece |archive-date= 6 June 2009 |title=Riots after Sikh guru Sant Rama Nand shot dead in Vienna}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8066005.stm |title=Europe | Preacher dies after Vienna clash |work=BBC News |date=2009-05-25 |access-date=2009-08-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/27/stories/2009052760101300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601153833/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/27/stories/2009052760101300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 June 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|title=KZF claims responsibility for Vienna attack; Babbar Khalsa condemns killing|date=2009-05-27|access-date=10 February 2015}}</ref>

==Claims and denials of responsibility==
An email reportedly received by [[Akash Radio|Radio Akash]] in [[London]], purportedly from the [[Khalistan Zindabad Force]], claimed responsibility for the attack.<ref name="ATemails" /><ref name=diepresse>{{Cite news|url=http://diepresse.com/home/panorama/oesterreich/483019/index.do?_vl_backlink=/home/panorama/oesterreich/index.do|title=Sikh: Alarm vor Tag der offenen Tür in Wien (loosely "Sikh: Alarm before "Open Day" in Vienna)|date=2009-05-28|publisher=Die Presse|language=de|access-date=2009-06-02}}</ref>
The Austriantimes.at reported that a later email purported to be from the Khalistan Zindabad Force denied all involvement in this attack.
The later email appeared to have a scanned copy of KZF’s letterhead and contained a date change in longhand. This cast doubt on its authenticity.
Austriantimes.at also reported that the visiting leaders had been warned for some time of possible violence against them.
<ref name="ATemails">{{Cite news|url=http://austriantimes.at/index.php?id=13609|title=KZF takes responsibility for Vienna temple massacre|date=29 May 2009|publisher=Austriantimes.at|access-date=2009-05-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603054811/http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=13609|archive-date=2009-06-03}}</ref>

A 28 May 2009 Diepresse.com article reported that the identities of the 6 alleged Sikh attackers had been established.<ref name="Page"/> Five of the six had been questioned thoroughly, but the last, the alleged leader, was still too ill to interview, having been shot in the head. Of the six, all were males between 24 and 45 and from Punjab and other regions in northern India, two had entered the country illegally, and four had applied for asylum. It reported that Nirajnan Das was "on the road to recovery". Both the sixth alleged attacker and Nirajnan Das were reportedly under heavy guard at the hospital.<ref name=diepresse />

An email received by ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'' newspaper, purported to be from Ranjit Singh Jammu of the KZF, expressed sympathy for the "[[Ravidassia]] brotherhood" and denied any involvement.<ref name="KZFdenial">{{Cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090529/punjab.htm#6|title=KZF denies involvement in attack |author=Sanjeev Singh Bariana|date=May 28, 2009|work=The Tribune|access-date=2009-05-31|quote=People are being misled in the name of the KZF. The incident has hurt the entire Ravidassia brotherhood. The KZF begs pardon from the entire Sikh panth and also from the Sant Ravidass brotherhood.}}</ref>

Akash Radio reported on its web site that it had received, on 29 May 2009, a third email purported to be from the KZF.
In this third email, Akash reports, the KZF stated that "Indian agencies" used its letterhead to deny responsibility, and went on to emphasize that it took responsibility for the attack that resulted in the death of Rama Nand, and that KZF had sent the letter to an Indian newspaper which did not print the claim of responsibility, but which was quick to print the retraction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akashradio.com/|title=KZF claims Indian agencies used its letterhead In its third e-mail sent to Akash Radio yesterday 29th May 09|date=30 May 2009|publisher=Akash Radio|access-date=2009-06-02}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2009|reason=Need a "real" source, as this one did not last, items age out and are not kept where they can be seen, if at all.}}

==Arrest and trial==
One of the six suspects detained in connection with the attack was released due to lack of evidence. Four of the six offenders were [[Non-resident Indian and person of Indian origin|Non-Resident Indian]] asylum seekers living in Austria and were identified as Satwinder Singh, 28, Jaspal Singh, 34, Tasum Singh, 45 and Sukhwinder Singh, 28. The other two attackers - Hardeep Singh, 33 and Charnjit Singh, 24, entered Austria illegally, authorities said.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/vienna-gurdwara-attack-detained-suspect-released/472410/0 |title=Vienna gurdwara attack: Detained suspect released |publisher=Indian Express |date=2009-06-06 |access-date=2018-07-24}}</ref> Amritpal Singh, a 26-year-old Sikh man of Indian origin, was arrested after a firefight with commandos of the Austrian police who raided his apartment while investigating the murder.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://twocircles.net/?q=2009jun16/seventh_vienna_gurdwara_shootout_suspect_arrested_after_firefight_police.html |title=Mainstream news of the marginalized |publisher=TwoCircles.net |access-date=2018-07-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/crime/riot,-carnage,-pogrom/vienna-gurdwara-shootout-suspect-arrested-14364.html |title=India Current Events, Current Affairs 2018, News on Business, Politics, Government, Sports |publisher=Headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com |date=2018-07-20 |access-date=2018-07-24}}</ref>

After nearly 11 hours of deliberations, the jury found main defendant Jaspal Singh guilty of shooting Ramanand to death and he received a life-sentence; he was also convicted of attempted murder. Four men were convicted of aiding Singh and were sentenced to between 17 and 18 years, while one was found guilty of attempted coercion and received a 6-month sentence. The prosecutor had alleged that some of the men had travelled to Vienna from Barcelona in Spain with the aim of carrying out their crime.<ref>http://www.pravasitoday.com/indian-temple-attackers-get-jail-in-vienna-2</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{coord missing|Austria}}

[[Category:Massacres in religious buildings and structures]]
[[Category:Massacres of Sikhs]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Europe in 2009]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Austria]]
[[Category:May 2009 events in Europe]]
[[Category:May 2009 crimes]]
[[Category:Sikh terrorism in Austria]]
[[Category:2009 in Austria]]
[[Category:2009 in India]]
[[Category:2009 crimes in Austria]]
[[Category:2009 murders in Europe]]
[[Category:2000s murders in Austria]]

Vienna temple attack - Revision history

imported>Citation bot: Add: date, title. Changed bare reference to CS1/2. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by BrownHairedGirl | Linked from User:BrownHairedGirl/Articles_with_bare_links | #UCB_webform_linked 657/2191