Thugs convicted over brawl at Midlands Kabaddi tournament that sparked DPD driver's murder
One man from Tipton is among those who have been convicted by jurors of violent disorder
Three thugs who were involved in a huge brawl at a Midlands Kabaddi tournament which sparked the murder of a DPD worker have been convicted.
A number of people were hurt when violence broke out between two groups at the sports tournament in the summer of 2023.
Police rushed to the scene after reports of shots being fired and that perpetrators were fighting with machetes.
Video footage from the event captured Boota Singh, 35, running with others after a rival group.
He did not have a weapon on him at the time but two machetes were found in the boot of his car when he was stopped by police two days later.
READ MORE: Midlands stalker, 39, used tracking device to spy on dumped girlfriend
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info
Damanjit Singh, 35, and Rajvinder Takhar Singh, 42, were also both seen with large knives.
Following a trial at Derby Crown Court in November, jurors convicted the trio of charges faced.
- Boota Singh, of Witham Drive, Derby, was convicted of violent disorder. He admitted possession of an offensive weapon at the start of the trial.
- Damanjit Singh, of Powell Place, Tipton, was convicted in his absence of violent disorder and possession of a bladed article.
- Raj Takhar Singh, of Patterdale Drive, Huddersfield, was convicted of violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.
The three defendants will be sentenced on December 19, Derbyshire Constabulary said.
The violence took place off Elvaston Lane, in Alvaston, Derby, just before 4pm on Sunday, August 20.
Following a trial held at Derby Crown Court in 2024, seven other men have been jailed for their part in the violence at the event.
Two other men who stood trial this year over alleged violence were acquitted by jurors.
Detective Inspector Chris Barker, senior investigating officer, said: "These men deliberately armed themselves with weapons at this event, which should have been a fun family friendly sporting tournament.
"However their actions and the levels of violence demonstrated on this day meant that it instead turned into a huge violent disorder which left multiple people injured and many people fearing for their safety.
"I know that the vast majority of people who attended this event did so with good intentions and they have helped and supported us throughout this long-running investigation, for which we are very grateful.
"This has been a hugely complex case and all of the team involved have worked incredibly hard to bring these men to justice so I’d like to add my thanks to them as well."
Detective Constable Stevie Barker, who led the investigation, added: "The mindless violence displayed by these men on this day completely ruined what should have been a fun sporting event.
"Investigations have shown a clear level of pre-planning by those involved and the sheer fact they were all armed showed their obvious intentions to cause trouble and inflict significant injuries to other people.
"The numbers of people present at the day and the scenes that unfolded and were captured on camera mean this has been a very large scale and difficult investigation over the last two years.
"All of the officers involved have put in many long hours to build this case and their hard work and determination has now paid off with these men being brought to justice.
"I am very grateful to all of those involved in this investigation, right from the beginning where we were working hard to identify the offenders, through to building the case for court and all of the work that has taken place in between.
"We couldn’t have got to this point without all of the dedicated officers who have been involved and I’d like to thank them all for their incredible work.
"I am pleased that this second group of offenders have now been brought to justice for the appalling scenes we saw back in August 2023 and I hope they are never repeated in our county or anywhere else."
The violence at the Kabaddi tournament is said to have also sparked nine men to plan a murderous attack on DPD worker Aurman Singh.
Aurman, from Smethwick, was part of a two-man crew delivering parcels when he was ambushed by an armed masked mob in Shrewsbury the day after the Kabaddi event.
The 23-year-old tried outrun his killers but 'within seconds' he was chopped and hacked to death with an arsenal of weapons.
In April 2024, four men were jailed for Aurman's murder, while a fifth man was locked up for manslaughter.
Two further killers were handed life sentences for Aurman's murder in April 2025.
Two other men are still wanted in connection with Aurman's murder.
Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here.