Elderly Sikh Man Punched Repeatedly To Death In New York

In what appears to be yet anoher hate crime against minorities in the US, an elderly Sikh man was punched repeatedly to death by a 30-year-old man in New York City.

What is the reported crime?

According to reports, the deceased has been identified as 66-year-old, Jasmeer Singh. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens in critical condition where he died of a brain injury a day after he was assaulted. The accused, Gilbert Augustin, was arrested on October 20 and charged with manslaughter and assault, among other lesser charges.

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When and where did the incident take place?

The incident was reported on October 19. According to police, Singh and Augustin collided on the Van Wyck Expressway near Hillside Avenue in Kew Gardens around 12 p.m. on October 19 and both cars had dents and scratches. The incident comes days after 19-year-old Mani Sandhu was punched multiple times and an attempt was made to remove his turban onboard a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus in New York City. Sandhu said the hate-motivated attack left him "shaken and angry".

Why was the victim punched mercilessly?

Prosecutors said quoting witnesses that they heard a man say ¡°no police, no police¡± when Singh went to call 911 and saw him snatching the phone from Singh's hands. Singh got out of the car and followed Augustin in an attempt to get his phone back as the two argued, the Daily News said. When Singh was walking back towards his car after getting his phone back, Augustin punched him three times in the head and face, witnesses said.

Singh fell to the ground and hit his head, while Augustin hopped back into his Ford Mustang and took off, according to a criminal complaint.

Police arrested Augustin about two miles from the crash site and found he had a suspended drivers license and his Alabama license plate did not match his New York registration.

Following an arraignment in Queens on October 21, Augustin has been held without bail. The New York Police Department (NYPD) Hate Crime Task Force is not yet investigating the incident, which they believe was sparked by a car crash, a police spokesperson said.

How are people reacting to the incident?

Responding to the incident, New York Mayor Eric Adams said on Sunday that he will be meeting Sikh leaders this week to discuss the needs of the community following the incident.

"Jasmer Singh loved his city and deserved so much more than his tragic death. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want our Sikh community to know you have more than our condolences. You have our sacred vow that we reject the hatred that took this innocent life and we will protect you," Adams wrote on X.

"Our team will be meeting with Sikh leaders this week to discuss the needs of this critical community in this challenging moment," he said.

With inputs from IANS