"Hate turban people": US man points gun at Sikh cabbie
In a disturbing incident, a person in Illinois, US, put a gun to a Sikh cab driver's head and asked which country he belongs to. "I hate turban people," the man reportedly said. The Sikh community is frustrated that cops haven't arrested anyone three weeks later, nor has hate crime charges been imposed. The Sikh Coalition has now launched a campaign for #JusticeForGurjeet.
What happened?
According to the Coalition, Gurjeet Singh picked up two passengers at night on January 29. An argument erupted between Singh and the male passenger about "people's loyalties," cops said. He asked Singh which country he belonged to and "do you you serve your country or our country?" When Singh replied he served both India and the US, the passenger pointed a gun at him.
The woman passenger apologized and asked him to leave
Singh then stopped the car, the Coalition said. The female passenger forced her male friend out of the car and asked Singh to drive away. "She apologized and said, 'I'm sorry, he shouldn't have said that to you'," said Amrith Kaur, the organization's legal director.
Cops expect to resolve case by the weekend
Investigators have interviewed Singh, a legal US resident, and the passengers but haven't filed charges yet. The Sikh community is upset that no arrests have been made, but police assure they're hoping to resolve it "as quickly as possible." As of now, they are expecting to file an aggravated assault case and "perhaps further charges." The Coalition is providing free legal representation to Singh.
Sikh Coalition lists out three-point mission for #JusticeForGurjeet
The group has also launched a three-point action plan under the #JusticeForGurjeet campaign. It wants people to call up the Rock Island (area) sheriff's department and urge quick disposal of the case. The second task is to call up the district attorney's office to demand protection for minorities. And lastly, they want people to share social media posts with #JusticeForGurjeet.
