29-year-old Sikh from UP killed outside US Gurdwara; suspected hate crime
PTC News Desk: Raj Singh, a 29-year-old Sikh musician, known as Goldy, was tragically shot dead outside a gurdwara in Selma, Alabama, USA. The incident, suspected to be a hate crime, occurred on Saturday, shocking the Sikh community.
Hailing from Tanda Sahuwala village in Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, India, Goldy was part of a Sikh kirtan group and had been residing in the US with his musical troupe for over a year. Reports suggest that Goldy was shot by unidentified assailants while he was standing outside the gurdwara. His family learned about the devastating incident on Sunday, leaving them in deep shock and grief.
Gurdeep Singh, the deceased's brother-in-law, expressed their anguish, stating that it had been five days since the incident, and the post-mortem was still pending. The family has sought assistance from the gurdwara committee and appealed to the government for justice, urging the swift apprehension of the perpetrators.
Despite initial suspicions of a hate crime, Selma police indicated that there was no clear evidence of racial motivation behind Raj Singh's killing. Sergeant Caleb Garcia, as reported by Selma-based news outlet GVWire, affirmed that the investigation was ongoing.
Gurdeep Singh, the deceased's brother-in-law, informed TOI, "We learned about the incident from some relatives. It's been five days, and the post-mortem is still pending. We've contacted the gurdwara committee for assistance, and they are cooperating with us." He added that the family has appealed to the Indian government for justice and urged for the swift apprehension of the perpetrators.
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The motive behind Raj Singh's murder remains unclear. However, his family suspects it to be a hate crime.
Raj Singh, who became the sole provider for his family after his father's demise five years ago, is survived by his mother, two sisters, and a younger brother. Reports indicate that his family has also penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the Indian government's assistance in repatriating his body to India for cremation.
Recent data from the California State University's Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism reveals a concerning trend: hate crimes reported to police in the nation's 10 largest cities surged in 2023.
Across cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, New York City, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, and Austin, a total of 2,184 hate crimes were reported in 2023. This marks a significant 13 per cent increase from the previous year's figures.
A broader analysis spanning 25 American cities indicates an average 17% rise in hate crimes from 2022. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a hate crime involves a criminal offense motivated, either wholly or in part, by biases against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.
Tragically, Raj Singh's murder in February 2024 is the second such incident in the region. Earlier, Pravin Raojibhai Patel, an American hotelier of Gujarati origin, was fatally shot following an altercation with a man seeking accommodation at his motel in Alabama's Sheffield area.
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(Inputs from agencies)
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