Three men have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a shocking mass brawl involving machetes and firearms at an international Kabaddi tournament in Derby, an incident that preceded the brutal murder of a delivery driver.
Medieval-Scale Violence at Family Event
The violent disorder erupted on August 20, 2023, at a Kabaddi event in Alvaston, Derby, which was attended by over 1,000 people, including many families and children. Police were called at around 4pm following reports of gunshots.
Footage revealed a large-scale, pre-planned confrontation between two rival groups. Approximately 40 men were involved, armed with at least six firearms, machetes, and other blades. Judge Jonathan Bennett later described the scenes as resembling a 'medieval battle'. The violence resulted in four people requiring hospital treatment.
Prosecutor Claire Fraser told Derby Crown Court that the defendants had attended a 'pre-meet' at a local community centre before the event. The motive for the violence remains unknown, with the judge noting a 'conspiracy of silence' among those involved. One defendant in a related trial had told police it involved 'Izzat' – honour.
Sentences Handed Down to Active Participants
Following a trial, a jury found three men guilty for their roles in the organised violence.
Boota Singh, 35, a father-of-two from Derby, was convicted of violent disorder, having admitted possessing an offensive weapon. The judge said he played a 'significant role' and was 'inextricably linked with machetes'. He was seen chasing other men during the melee, and two machetes were later found in his car boot. He was jailed for a total of four years.
Damanjit Singh, 35, of Tipton, was convicted in his absence of violent disorder and possession of a bladed article. He was seen brandishing a large knife, wore a scarf over his face, and encouraged others. He received a total sentence of three years and four months. An Indian passport holder in the UK on 'Leave to Remain', he now faces potential deportation.
Rajvinder Takhar Singh, 42, of Huddersfield, was found guilty of violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon. Described as being at the 'front and centre' of the violence while armed with a knife, he was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison.
All three had denied wrongdoing. Seven other men were already jailed following an earlier trial into the incident in 2024.
Link to Cartel-Style Execution of DPD Driver
The Derby brawl was a flashpoint in a long-running feud that culminated in the execution of 23-year-old DPD driver Aurman Singh just 24 hours later, on August 21, 2023.
Aurman Singh, who lived in Smethwick, was ambushed in Shrewsbury by a group of eight men armed with an axe, knife, shovel, hockey stick, and golf club. His injuries were catastrophic and he died at the scene. His killers had identified him from social media footage of the Kabaddi brawl, and a colleague, Sukhmandeep Singh, had leaked his delivery route.
In a series of trials, multiple men have been convicted for his murder. In April 2023, Arshdeep Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Shivdeep Singh, and Manjot Singh were each given life sentences with minimum terms of 28 years. Sukhmandeep Singh received 10 years for manslaughter. This April, Mehakdeep Singh and Sehajpal Singh, who were both at the Kabaddi event, were also convicted of murder and jailed for life with 28-year minimum terms.
Detective Inspector Chris Barker of Derbyshire Police stated: 'These men deliberately armed themselves with weapons at this event, which should have been a fun family friendly sporting tournament. Their actions... meant that it instead turned into a huge violent disorder.' Judge Bennett concluded that it was 'only due to good fortune that no fatalities occurred' during the tournament violence itself.
