Kent Police said its officers were called to the Sri Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara on Thursday evening to investigate reports that a male had entered the place of worship and attempted to assault members of the gathering. The gurdwara, among the largest in Europe, said that 'Guru Granth Sahib Ji' was not present in the Darbar Hall at the time of the incident.
“It was reported that a male had entered the location and attempted to assault those in attendance whilst armed with a bladed weapon. Nobody was seriously injured during the incident but two women required medical attention for cuts and bruises,” Kent Police said in a statement.
The officers arrested the teenage boy on suspicion of attempted murder and a religiously aggravated public order offence and also recovered the bladed weapon from the scene. The police have described it as an “isolated incident” and nobody else is currently being sought in connection with the attack.
“We understand the community’s concerns in relation to the events at the gurdwara, however we are treating it as an isolated incident,” said Detective Superintendent Ian Dyball of Kent Police.
“Patrols will remain in the area for reassurance and we thank the community for their ongoing support and assistance,” he said.
According to the gurdwara’s management team, the suspect was spotted by its security team and police were called immediately.
“A person has been arrested by Kent Police on suspicion of attempted murder, after entering the gurdwara and creating an incident in one of the Darbar Halls. We can confirm that the incident happened after Sukhasan and 'Guru Granth Sahib Ji' was not present in the Darbar Hall,” read a gurdwara statement.
“The gurdwara is cooperating fully with Kent Police who are treating the incident very seriously, with the District Commander on site to support whilst the investigation is ongoing,” the statement added.
The historic gurdwara is described as a place of “unique scale”, with its design inspired by the Golden Temple in Amritsar and using hand-crafted marble and stonework.
The local parliamentarian, Dr Lauren Sullivan, said she was “shocked and saddened” by the incident but urged the community to refrain from speculating over the motive.
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response to this awful event. Full details are still emerging and there are many rumours running about, so it is right that we let the emergency services deal with the situation and complete their investigation,” she said.