Attackers, according to the victim’s supporters, took his turban and pulled him by his hair
People from Kelowna, British Columbia’s Sikh community want an attack on a young international student to be looked into as a hate crime. A group of people allegedly punched and kicked the student at a bus stop and tore off his turban. The RCMP said that its investigation is still in its early stages and that it is still trying to figure out what happened.
Gagandeep Singh, the man who was killed, is a young Sikh man from India who has been studying in Kelowna for the past year, according to members of the Sikh community who have come together to help him.
The police say that Singh was on the same bus as a group of young people, both men and women, late Friday night.
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“They were making fun of the victim, and when he got off the bus, he was hit from behind and attacked,” said Const. Mike Della-Paolera, a spokesman for the RCMP.
Singh was lying on the ground and being helped by friends who had already arrived when the police came. The RCMP says that he was taken to the hospital by ambulance with minor injuries.
Suspects not yet identifie
Della-Paolera says that as of Monday, the police had not found out who the suspects were.
CBC News hasn’t talked to Singh, but people in the Sikh community who support him say that what happened was a violent attack on the young man and his faith. They want police to look into the attack as a hate crime.
“He is still stunned. He’s hurting a lot. A member of the Gurdwara Guru Amardas Darbar Sikh Society in Kelowna, Aman Hundal, said that the information is trickling out slowly because he was hit in the mouth.
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Hundal says that Singh is saying that a group of about 15–20 young men and a few women attacked him while he was on the ground and kicked and punched him.
It is said that the attackers took the victim’s turban and pulled his hair
“They knocked off his turban, grabbed him by the hair, and started dragging him around that area by the bus stop,” he said.
“After they beat him up, they took his turban. We think this was a hate crime because they took it as a prize, which is also rude. This is a part of what we believe.”
A young Sikh woman from India was killed in Kelowna last year while working as a security guard at UBC’s Okanagan campus. The attack on the international student comes a year after that.
Kelowna Coun. Mohini Singh said that this latest incident has shocked the Sikh community.
‘This is not tolerable
“Everyone sends their kids to Canada because they think it’s a safe place, and it is. Parents don’t worry about their kids, “Singh said.
“This is not tolerable in Kelowna. We don’t want to see this here. This can’t go on.”
The RCMP said that it’s too early in the investigation to say if what happened was based on race.
“It’s an attack at this point. Obviously, there is a lot to this investigation and a lot to think about, but right now, we need to find out more about what happened and get a clear picture of what went on “said Della-Paolera.
Kelowna RCMP is asking anyone, including members of the group of suspects, who may have seen this attack or has dash cam video or other recordings to get in touch.