American Sikh called ‘terrorist’ by driver who ran truck over him
Thursday, 07/08/2014
http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
NEW YORK: A Sikh man, critically injured after being hit by a truck, was called a “terrorist” by the attacker, the victim’s wife said, demanding justice for him and terming the assault as an attack on her community.
Sandeep Singh, 29, is recovering from injuries he suffered when he was hit by the pick-up truck and dragged about 30 feet following an argument with the driver, who used the racist slur against him on July 30.
Singh’s Sikh-American wife Prabhpreet Kaur was among the many members of the Sikh community and civil rights groups who gathered in Queens on Tuesday for a support rally, organised by rights group Sikh Coalition calling for justice for Singh and that the attack be investigated by the New York Police Department and the FBI as a hate crime.
Members of the community, including women and children, held posters at the rally with messages such as ‘We Demand Justice’, ‘We are all Sikhs’, ‘End hate’, ‘Justice for Sandeep’, ‘Take on hate’, ‘Keep Sikhs Safe’ and ‘We are one’.
Kaur said her husband was called a “terrorist” and told to “go back to your country” by the truck driver. When Sandeep protested, he was run over and dragged for 30 feet under the truck and was left to die.
“What happened to my husband was an act of hate perpetrated by a man who expressed bigotry before running him over. This attack is not only an attack on my husband, it is an attack on the Sikh community. It is an attack on Americans,” Kaur said. She urged the public to come forward with any information about the driver and help get justice for Singh who had “nearly lost his life”.
