Sikh groups want Jasmir`s attackers be charged with hate crime

Dharam Shourie
New York, Jan 25 (PTI) Enraged at the recent attack on a
Sikh youth who lost sight in the left eye after being stabbed
by three men, community leaders and advocacy groups have
mounted pressure on police here to investigate if the
assailants could be charged with hate crime.

21-year-old Jasmir Singh was attacked on Sunday last
outside a grocery store in Jackson Heights in Queens suburb of
New York City. After the attack in the predominantly Indian
neighbourhood, two of the assailants were arrested and charged
with assault and robbery in the first degree, while police
were on look out for the third suspect.

Singh, who was stabbed in the eye, back and chest, was
discharged from hospital Saturday and hate crimes task force
commander Michael Osgood is likely to interview him in a
week's time to determine whether the suspects can be charged
with hate crime.

Singh has alleged that he was targeted because of his
long hair and beard but police still maintains that it was a
case of robbery and assault.

"The attackers questioned me about my hair and threatened
to cut it," Singh said at a press conference outside Elmhurst
Hospital soon he was discharged.

Lawmaker Jose Peralta, who was present a the press
conference, urged police to investigate if the attack was
racially motivated.

Representatives of United Sikh, an international advocacy
group, Sikh community leaders and inter-faith activists met
investigators to voice their concern about the investigation.

The investigators assured them that they would conduct a
full probe into the case and interview Singh again.

At the press conference, Peralta asked New Yorkers to
step forward and participate in protection of their respective
neighbourhoods and favoured Block Watch programmes.

Citing examples of recent hate crimes in New York, he
urged police to continue their investigation of the hate and
bias aspects of Jasmir's assault so that they could prosecute
the perpetrators to "the fullest extent of the law."

United Sikhs Staff Attorney Jaspreet Singh stated: "We
appreciate the police's diligent efforts and nothing must
happen to stop the successful prosecution of the assailants in
this case. Violent crimes are bad at the first instance but
worse if motivated by hate, because it tears away the fabric
of civil society."

At a meeting with the police, the community leaders
demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

During the meeting, Inspector Osgood gave a briefing on
the case and said police take hate crimes seriously.

Another Inspector John Lavelle, the commanding officer of
the 115th Precinct which polices the Jackson Height area, said
"the perpetrators are well known robbers in the area and we
worked with Inspector Osgood to determine if hate was the
substantial motivation of the crime."

Mejindarpal Kaur, a participant at the meeting from the
Sikh community, "We understand the police have an onerous duty
to establish if the crime was motivated substantially by hate.
We've asked the police to look at the evidence again as the
attackers singled out Jasmir Singh and asked him why he didn't
cut his hair or beard and then threatened to cut his hair."

"They then forced him out of the store and launched a
savage attack on him, without attacking anyone else in that
store or indeed his Filipino friend," she added.

After an hour-long meeting, Inspector Osgood said, "I am
prepared to do another interview with the victim (Jasmir
Singh) in a few days time to establish if the defendants could
be charged with a hate crime." PTI