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.
The investigation resulted in CFSEU-BC executed 13 search warrants between October 13, 2022 and January 23, 2023 in several Peace Region communities and 23 people were arrested and released pending charge approval and the judicial process.
The 74-year-old victim was standing at a bus stop near Main and Keefer streets at 5:30 a.m. when a stranger walked up behind her and pushed her to the ground. The woman was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
VPD officers, who had been patrolling the area after reports of a group of teens knocking over planters and kicking doors, located the injured victim, then arrested the suspects nearby.
45 year old Norvie Nativdad of New Westminster has been charged with Possession of Stolen Property Over $5000, Breach of Undertaking Order, Breach of Release Order, and Unauthorized use of credit card.
B.C.'s Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says the province reached out to Public Safety Canada on Monday morning, just hours after the quake, because such emergency assistance needs to be co-ordinated.
While he didn't give a specific time for his departure, he suggested St. Patrick's Day on March 17 might be a good day to go. Horgan, who's 63, has twice battled cancer, and announced last June that health reasons were forcing him to retire from the premier's job after five years.
