British Sikhs fined over attack on fellow Sikh

London, UK: A British court has fined three Sikhs who launched a ferocious attack on a fellow Sikh after he criticised their gurdwara on Facebook.

Gurinderjit Singh, Santokh Singh Sahota and Harpreet Singh Sahota had pleaded guilty to a charge of affray at Warwickshire Crown Court in relation to the attack on Jujhar Singh Flora.

Recorder Christopher Goodchild, who was hearing the case this week, ordered the trio to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay 500 pounds each in compensation to Flora.

“It was an attack of almost animal ferocity of a mob of you against one man. No religious difference of opinion justifies that,” he said.

“You hold yourselves out to be followers of a peaceful, loving religion. You brought shame on it. What happened that day, it was shameful,” he added. According to court reports from the local media in the West Midlands region, the defendants and their victim represent different strands of the Sikh faith.

The defendants attended the Baba Vadbhag Singh gurdwara in Exhall, Warwickshire, about which Flora, who attended the nearby Dukh Niwaran Sahib gurdwara, had expressed some “negative views” on his Facebook page.

Sahota told Flora he should remove the Facebook messages and became increasingly aggressive as he was joined by the other two men. Flora was backed up against a car and, as others joined the group, violence broke out.

The CCTV footage played in court showed Flora’s turban had come off and unravelled as he tried to fight off his attackers. He was pursued and struck again after getting to his feet.

His sister tried to stop the attack before a police car was flagged down and officers brought the situation under control and arrested the three defendants. — PTI

The incident, and the penalty

* British Sikhs — Gurinderjit Singh, Santokh Singh Sahota and Harpreet Singh Sahota — pleaded guilty to a charge of affray at Warwickshire Crown Court in relation to the attack on Jujhar Singh Flora

* Recorder Christopher Goodchild, who was hearing the case this week, ordered the trio to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay 500 pounds each in compensation to Flora

* “It was an attack of almost animal ferocity of a mob of you against one man. No religious difference of opinion justifies that,” Goodchild said

Source: HT