Melbourne gurdwara fire 'suspicious': Australian police

Amid concerns voiced by the Sikh community here over a fire incident at a gurdwara, Australian police have said they were treating the blaze as "suspicious", but were yet to establish whether race or religion had motivated the attackers.

The partially-built Nanksar Thath Gurdwara in Lynbrook area here was damaged due to the fire that broke out at 0030 hours local time yesterday (1900 hours IST Tuesday).

Detective senior constable Paul Stow, in charge of the investigation, said the fire was being treated as suspicious. However, detectives were yet to find out whether the incident had any race race or religion angle to it, The Australian reported today.

"At this stage, there is nothing to suggest it is (race-related) other than the fact that it happened to a temple," detective constable Stow was quoted as saying.

"... It is believed to have been set on fire with the use of molotov cocktails early yesterday," the report said.

In New Delhi, an external affairs ministry spokesperson said India has taken up the incident with Australia.

"Our consulate in Melbourne is in the process of ascertaining details from the Gurudwara Management Committee, and also following up on the incident with Australian authorities," the spokesperson said.

Members of the Sikh community visited the gurdwara yesterday to survey the damage.

The daily quoted a worshipper, who asked not to be named, as saying that he was informed by police that three molotov cocktails and a jerry can containing petrol were found inside the shrine.

Constable Stow also said that "a number of items were located to suggest accelerant was used".

Initially, police had suspected that a group of teens had lit "a couple of small fires" in piles of rubbish in the shrine.

Constable Stow now said police believed the arson to be a "deliberately lit fire" rather than a bonfire that had burnt out of control.

A police spokeswoman last night said investigators were keeping an open mind about the investigation. "We can't discount anything," she said.

Commenting on the incident, leading Sikh community member and editor of an ethnic newspaper Tony Singh said that "such an incident was shocking and upsetting but the community would not lose its patience."

"What happened is not right, but we are not going to jump to a conclusion. We will wait till all the facts are revealed," Singh said urging the community to maintain calm.

Sikh community here is being very patient, said Jag Shergill, another prominent Sikh who also has been appointed as Victorian multicultural commissioner. "We will wait for all facts to come out."

"Indians back home and specially Indian media need to learn to take a step back and analyse the situation with their cool minds. Don't get outraged and wait for the facts to be out," Shergill said.