It is the second attack on a Sikh student in the central city of Interior this year.
Ottawa:
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver has strongly condemned the attack on a Sikh student in the Canadian province of British Columbia and called for immediate action against the perpetrators.
The 17-year-old Sikh student was sprayed with beer or pepper by another teenage student after getting off a public transit bus on his way home on September 11.
The Indian student was attacked at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E in British Columbia, Canada, according to a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
In a post shared on against the perpetrators.”
@cgivancouver Strongly condemns the attack on an Indian citizen in Kelowna and calls on Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take immediate action against the perpetrators. @HCI_Ottawa@MEAIndia
— India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) September 15, 2023
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement: “On September 11, 2023, just before 4:00 p.m., Kelowna RCMP were dispatched to a pepper spray incident at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E. Officers determined a 17-year prison sentence. An elderly Sikh student was pepper-sprayed or pepper-sprayed by another teenage man after getting off a public transport bus on his way home.”
It was said that an altercation had occurred on the bus prior to the beer squirting incident, resulting in those involved being ejected from the bus. Police said several witness statements have been obtained and the teenage suspect has been identified.
“After exiting the bus, a second incident occurred where the suspect used bear spray on the victim,” the report said.
The statement continued: “Bystanders called police who attended and are actively investigating this incident. Several witness statements have been obtained and the teenage suspect in this incident has already been identified.”
According to the statement, çe and other relevant information, including taking steps to determine the motivation behind crime.
Speaking to CBC News, Kelowna city councilor Mohini Singh said the student had only been in the city for about five months and spoke little English.
She called the attack “totally unacceptable.” She said the student is in a “state of shock” and “absolutely traumatized.”
“He enjoys going to school. He has a good relationship with his teachers. No problem,” she said. “He is absolutely traumatized. He is in a state of shock,” CBC News quoted Mohini Singh as saying.
Mohini Singh said she met the teenager and found him barely able to lift his head from his chest. She said: “This has sent shockwaves through the community.” “The Indo-Canadian community is shocked by this… this is absolutely despicable.”
It is the second attack on a Sikh student in the central city of Interior this year. According to the CBC News report, another Indian Sikh student Gagandeep Singh was also attacked on March 17. At the time, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said investigators were consulting with their hate crimes unit.
