Turban ripped, Sikh student dragged by hair in Canada: Report
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Mar, 2023 11:03 AM
Toronto, March 20 (IANS) A Sikh student from India was attacked by a group of unknown men who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in BC. according to a media report.
Gagandeep Singh, 21, was swarmed and beaten near Highway 97 and McCurdy Road in Kelowna after he got off a transit bus on March 17, CTV News reported.
Gagandeep was heading home after grocery shopping when he encountered a group of young boys, between 12 and 15 years-old on the bus.
"They were harassing him and they threw a wig at him. He told them not to bother him or he'd call the police, and they continued to harass him," Kelowna City Councillor Mohini Singh told CTV News.
"They got off after him, waited for the bus to leave and then they swarmed him, they beat him in his face, in his ribs, arms, and legs and then proceeded to grab his turban, pull his hair and drag him," Singh said.
She further said that the group took the turban with them when they left Gagandeep in a pile of "dirty snow" on the side of the road.
Gagandeep then called a friend who came to the scene and dialled 911. He was treated for a wide range of injuries on his chest, mouth, arms and legs at Kelowna General Hospital, according to the report.
Singh, who visited Gagandeep at his home, said she was "horrified" after she saw him.
"He could only speak in soft tones and he couldn't open his mouth," she told CTV News, adding that the young man's eyes were swollen shut and he was in pain.
Calling the incident "intolerable" and "absolutely disgusting", Singh said it should be treated as a "racist attack".
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Kelowna said in a statement that they are investigating the incident in which someone was "hit from behind and assaulted" by a group of people.
"The Kelowna RCMP take this very seriously and are concerned that this type of crime has happened in our city," spokesperson Constable Mike Della-Paolera said in a statement.
"This assault is the top priority for our investigators."
Meanwhile, shaken and scared, international students and members of the Sikh community gathered on Sunday morning near a Kelowna bus stop to seek justice for Gagandeep.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Gagandeep's friends to cover his medical expenses, rent, and tuition fees.
"Kelowna is a welcoming and diverse community, filled with residents who are full of love and compassion. Together we can show that there's no place for hate and violence in our community," the fundraising page said.
On Wednesday close to 12:45pm, Police responded to a report of what appeared to be human remains found in a wooded area on an empty lot in the 19000-block of Fraser Highway. Police are working to identify the deceased individual.
Member states, including Canada, first agreed in 2014 to "aim" toward spending two per cent of their GDP on defence over the next decade following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
Premier David Eby says the latest deferral shows logging of the ancient trees is now at the lowest level on record. He says the government is introducing a $25 million, eight-point forest planning table that aims to improve old-growth management by incorporating local knowledge and community priorities.
Kenneth David MacKay was found guilty of first-degree murder for the killing of 21-year-old Crystal Paskemin in 2000. He received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Police say 20 snow geese were found dead on a street on Monday and they appeared to have been driven over by a vehicle. On Wednesday, three more geese were killed after being struck by a different vehicle.
Police responded to the initial report on January 23rd after a woman reported she was assaulted by an unknown male while walking her dogs in McCartney Creek park on a trail near Northlands Dr. Cell phone video of the incident was widely circulated on social media.
