March 2011 Sikh temple cleric jailed for sexually assaulting 12-year-old girl A cleric who sexually assaulted a young girl at a temple in Glasgow has been jailed for six months. Surinder Singh made the 12-year-old feel “dirty” as he tried to kiss her in his room at the city’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in January. The 53-year-old – who is visiting Scotland on a visa from India – also touched the youngster’s face and hands and placed nuts in her mouth while he was supposed to be giving her a music lesson. Sentencing the married father-of-five at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Sheriff Anthony Deutsch told him that he showed a “total lack of acceptance or remorse”. During the trial, Singh denied the charges against him but Sheriff Deutsch refused to believe him and found him guilty of the charges. He was convicted of sexually assaulting the girl – who cannot be named for legal reasons – at the Otago Street temple on January 15. The court heard from the young girl who explained that she was at the temple for a religious event and had been reciting prayers when she was asked to visit Singh’s room. She said that he was going to teach her how to play the harmonium. The witness told the court that while she was practicing the instrument, Singh put a cashew nut in her mouth. The girl said that she thought this was something “holy”. She claimed that she then left the room to help serve food but later returned to continue practicing the instrument while sitting on a bed in the room. The witness said: “He started putting his hands on my face and saying ‘You have a beautiful face’.” Prosecutor Joe Stewart asked the girl: “How did you feel when he was touching your arms and touching your face?” She answered: “I sort of suspected he was doing something dirty.” The witness then told the court: “After that he tried to kiss me on the lips, I turned my face away.” She added: “I felt very dirty.” The witness told the court that after she finished playing the instrument, Singh took her hand while sitting on the bed and told her they were “now friends”. The girl then left the room and immediately told a family friend and her dad. The police were then contacted. Defence lawyer Frank Moore told the court that Singh still denies assaulting the girl. Mr Moore added: “He is now anxious simply to serve his sentence and return to India as soon as possible on his release.”