UK Sikh in kirpan attack not guilty
Friday, 14/03/2014
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
LONDON: Bagicha Singh, a 60-yearold Sikh accused of attacking an inebriated Indian-origin man in November 2012 with his kirpan, was cleared by a British court on Wednesday after he insisted he acted in self-defence.
Ilford -based Bagicha was found not guilty at the Snaresbrook Crown Court of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily har m and of committing unlawful and malicious wounding. He was tried on suspicion of stabbing 30-year-old Pritpal Singh with his kirpan.
The incident occurred on November 12, 2012 after Pritpal, who had been drinking and was inebriated, became angry after hitting his leg on a metal pole. After shouting, and turning his anger on a passing family, he and his friends came across Bagicha.
Bagicha, who said he unsheathed his kirpan to get Pritpal off him and feared the group would kill him, told jurors: “I was talking on the phone and as I was walking I saw some men sitting on the bench. At first he punched me on the neck and then kicked me in the throat. I fell on my back and hurt my head.”
