UNITED SIKHS ASSIST ELDER BRUTALLY BEATEN IN SUSPECTED HATE CRIME

WASHINGTON D.C., Aug. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

The UNITED SIKHS legal team is working with the family of an elderly Sikh man after receiving a report today that he encountered several brutal attackers inside his own home during a suspected hate crime. According to details provided by the family, who wish to stay anonymous during this hardship, the home is now a bloody crime scene in the Washington D.C. area. The elderly citizen, known as “Mr. Singh,” suffered a fractured cheek bone and other bodily injuries requiring emergency surgery.

Immediately following the report, UNITED SIKHS notified local authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The family is working with police to identify the perpetrators, who remain on the loose.

"No family should have to go through this under any circumstances," Mr. Singh's daughter said. “These are monsters that prey on elderly people and are desperate."

"We will ensure justice is served," said UNITED SIKHS Trustee Sarndeep Singh, who visited Mr. Singh and his family at the hospital. "Our elders are the pillars of our community -- it is unthinkable that Mr. Singh would suffer such atrocities at the hands of cruel attackers. We are praying for a speedy recovery and security for the family during this difficult time."

Since Oct. 2018, Mr. Singh and his family have received threats from the Walden Palms Home Owners Association to sell 22 units from their real estate portfolio in Orlando, Florida. According to the family, threats included notes, phone calls and in-person conversations with association members who repeatedly stated: "You better sell, or else" and "Watch your back." It is unclear whether the brutal beating is tied to the threats at this time, however UNITED SIKHS legal advocates are imploring authorities to explore all possible connections.

This incident comes within weeks of an attack on a Sikh priest at his home in Modesto, California. On July 25, an intruder at the Sikh Temple Modesto Ceres broke windows at 9:30 p.m. at Amarjit Singh's home on temple grounds, punched the priest, shouted obscenities and told him to go back to his own country before fleeing, as reported in The Modesto Bee. The assailant remains at-large.

UNITED SIKHS will continue to make public updates on the situation as developments unfold. Anyone with information on Mr. Singh's attackers are urged to call the Montgomery County Police Department at (301) 279-8000. The organization encourages all community members to stand for their rights and remain vigilant, as reported attacks against minorities remain on the rise. Civil and human rights violations may reported to UNITED SIKHS via their online incident form: https://unitedsikhs.org/report-hate-bias-crime-incident/.

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ABOUT UNITED SIKHS
Associated with the United Nations Dept. of Public Information UNITED SIKHS is a global humanitarian charity that advocates for civil and human rights across 10 chapters. Our International Civil & Human Rights Advocacy helps advance the economic, social and spiritual empowerment of minorities and other marginalized groups and individuals in need, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, social status, age or ability. We achieve this by protecting and enforcing the civil and human rights of minorities and marginalized groups in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Visit us at www.UNITEDSIKHS.org

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• Mr. Singh

Megan Daly UNITED SIKHS (323) 514-0078 megan.daly@unitedsikhs.org