Representational Image.
Los Angeles:
An 82-year-old Sikh man who was brutally assaulted outside a Gurudwara in the US state of California in 2013 is still awaiting justice with a third delay in sentencing of the accused who reportedly mistook him to be a Muslim.
Piara Singh was attacked outside the Gurdwara in Fresno, California in May, 2013 where he was preparing free meals for the homeless.
He suffered a punctured lung and head injuries and was left lying in a pool of blood.
Two years later, members of Mr Singh's Sikh community say that while his physical wounds have healed, they are still waiting for closure in the case because of a third delay in sentencing, ABC news reported.
The assailant, Gilbert Garcia Jr, who was 29 at the time of the incident, was initially charged with attempted murder but later admitted elder abuse and a hate crime.
And as they wait for Mr Garcia to at last be sentenced, community advocate Ike Grewal said that the attack was all the more troubling because it is believed the attacker confused Mr Singh for a radical Muslim.
"The Sikhs have been attacked all over the United States after 9/11 and this is not acceptable because we have been mistaken as radicals when we are not," Mr Grewal said.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2013, Mr Singh's nephew Charanjit Sihota said that police told him they found Mr Garcia hiding behind a tree in a neighbour's garden, and that as he was arrested he shouted that he hated "those people" and wanted to bomb their places of worship.
Even if his attack was misdirected, legal expert Tony Capozzi said that it can still be classed as a hate crime.
"His hatred was the focus, the driving force, towards that belief," he said. "And the fact that the victim wasn't of the religion he thought it was is of no consequence."
The hate crime enhancement could add as many as three years to Mr Garcia's punishment. He is facing a maximum of 13 years in prison when he is sentenced.
Piara Singh was attacked outside the Gurdwara in Fresno, California in May, 2013 where he was preparing free meals for the homeless.
He suffered a punctured lung and head injuries and was left lying in a pool of blood.
Two years later, members of Mr Singh's Sikh community say that while his physical wounds have healed, they are still waiting for closure in the case because of a third delay in sentencing, ABC news reported.
The assailant, Gilbert Garcia Jr, who was 29 at the time of the incident, was initially charged with attempted murder but later admitted elder abuse and a hate crime.
And as they wait for Mr Garcia to at last be sentenced, community advocate Ike Grewal said that the attack was all the more troubling because it is believed the attacker confused Mr Singh for a radical Muslim.
"The Sikhs have been attacked all over the United States after 9/11 and this is not acceptable because we have been mistaken as radicals when we are not," Mr Grewal said.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 2013, Mr Singh's nephew Charanjit Sihota said that police told him they found Mr Garcia hiding behind a tree in a neighbour's garden, and that as he was arrested he shouted that he hated "those people" and wanted to bomb their places of worship.
Even if his attack was misdirected, legal expert Tony Capozzi said that it can still be classed as a hate crime.
"His hatred was the focus, the driving force, towards that belief," he said. "And the fact that the victim wasn't of the religion he thought it was is of no consequence."
The hate crime enhancement could add as many as three years to Mr Garcia's punishment. He is facing a maximum of 13 years in prison when he is sentenced.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
