Sikh Sevadar of Twenty Years Kidnapped Outside Tracy Gurdwara, Found Dead in Mistaken-Identity Case

A Sikh man who had volunteered as a sevadar at a Tracy gurdwara for twenty years was kidnapped outside the house of worship in broad daylight and was later found dead. Authorities described the killing as a case of mistaken identity. Surveillance footage recorded the moment three suspects forced the victim into an SUV as he attempted to resist, and the case drew grief and alarm from the Sikh community in California and from the broader South Asian diaspora.

Well-Known Sikh Volunteer Kidnapped in Tracy, Body Found Near Lake Berryessa

KTVU reported that a well-known Sikh volunteer was kidnapped in Tracy and that his body was discovered approximately two hours away from the city where the abduction occurred. The location near Lake Berryessa indicated that the kidnappers transported the victim a substantial distance before his death. The description of the victim as well-known in KTVU's coverage underscores the standing he had built within the local Sikh community, suggesting that his disappearance would have been immediately noticed by those who knew him. Tracy, a city in California's San Joaquin Valley, has a significant Sikh population, and gurdwaras there serve as centers of worship, communal gathering, and the distribution of langar, the free communal meal central to Sikh practice. The abduction of a recognized community figure from within or near such a space represents a profound violation of the safety that gurdwara communities rely on. KTVU's coverage reached a broad Bay Area television audience, making the story widely known across Northern California and bringing public attention to the loss of a man whose place in his community was defined by his volunteer service. The geographic span of the case — from Tracy to the Lake Berryessa area — added to the gravity of what authorities were confronting. [1]

Twenty-Year Sevadar Taken from the Gurdwara He Had Long Served

The Tribune reported that the victim had served as a sevadar at the Tracy gurdwara for twenty years at the time of his death. A sevadar is a Sikh volunteer who performs seva, or selfless service, at a gurdwara. The work of a sevadar typically includes preparing and serving langar — the free communal meal that is a defining expression of Sikh egalitarianism — maintaining the gurdwara's premises, assisting during prayers, and receiving and welcoming all who come to the house of worship. Twenty years of such service is a substantial commitment, one that places the sevadar at the center of the community's daily and weekly rhythms. Over two decades, the victim would have become a familiar and trusted presence to generations of worshippers, families, and visitors who came to the gurdwara. The Tribune, published in Chandigarh and widely read by the Punjabi diaspora, reported that the kidnapping took place outside the gurdwara — the very site of the victim's long years of devotion. That he was taken from this place carries a particular weight for Sikhs who regard the gurdwara as a sanctuary. His death removes from the Tracy Sikh community not merely an individual but a pillar of seva whose two decades of faithful presence left a lasting imprint on all who worshipped and gathered there. [3]

Surveillance Footage Shows Daylight Abduction by Three Suspects Outside Gurdwara

NDTV reported on the kidnapping and death of Singh, describing the case as one of mistaken identity in which investigators believe the attackers targeted the wrong person. The article, published February 25, 2026, reported that surveillance footage captured the moment three suspects lunged at Singh outside a gurdwara at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon and shoved him into the back of an SUV. Sheriff Patrick Withrow stated that Singh attempted to fight off his attackers but was overpowered by the three men. The mid-afternoon timing of the abduction — when gurdwaras typically see activity from worshippers and volunteers going about their routines — made the brazen daylight nature of the crime particularly disturbing to observers. The authorities' assessment that this was a case of mistaken identity means Singh was not the intended target; he lost his life because his kidnappers erroneously believed he was someone else. The surveillance footage, which documented a coordinated attack by three individuals against one man who tried to defend himself, provided investigators with clear visual evidence of the crime and the suspects. NDTV's coverage brought the story to a wide Indian and South Asian diaspora readership, reflecting the international concern the killing generated among communities following the safety and security of Sikhs in the United States. [4]

Sources: [1] KTVU · [3] The Tribune · [4] NDTV