Milpitas(California)-The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) expresses its deep outrage and strongest condemnation over the shocking decision to release on bail the three young men arrested for a brutal racial attack on two senior Sikh citizens in Wolverhampton, UK. This cowardly and hate-driven assault on elderly members of the Sikh community is not only an attack on innocent individuals but also an attack on the values of human dignity, respect, and equality. To release the accused on bail sends an extremely dangerous message — that perpetrators of racial hate crimes can escape accountability and that the pain of the victims and their families is secondary to leniency towards offenders.
Chahal said that Senior citizens, particularly from minority communities, deserve safety and protection. Instead, these victims were targeted simply because of their visible Sikh identity. Such incidents cannot and must not be treated lightly. NAPA calls upon the UK authorities to immediately review this decision, re-arrest the accused, and ensure that justice is delivered swiftly and without compromise. Chahal further reminded the world that Sikhs have a long history of sacrifice and contribution wherever they have settled. To allow such racial crimes to go unpunished would not only embolden hate-mongers but also deeply damage social harmony in the United Kingdom.
NAPA demands that the British government, law enforcement agencies, and judicial system take decisive action and set a strong precedent that hate crimes against Sikhs, or any minority community, will never be tolerated. Justice delayed or diluted is justice denied.