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Tag: Sikh

  • Musk settles defamation suit brought by Indian-American Sikh

    Musk settles defamation suit brought by Indian-American Sikh

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    New York: Tesla CEO Elon Musk has agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a defamation case brought against him by Indian-American Sikh critic and independent researcher, Randeep Hothi.

    Hothi, a doctoral student in Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan, had filed a defamation case against Musk in 2020, alleging that the billionaire businessman falsely accused him of actively harassing and “almost killing” Tesla employees.

    Following a lengthy and hard-fought litigation, in March 2023, Musk asked Hothi to settle the case.

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    “This case was about taking a stand, not seeking fame or money. I feel vindicated,” said Hothi, announcing that he accepted Musk’s settlement offer in a statement.

    “I brought this case to defend my work, clear my name, and send a message… I believe I’ve accomplished that, thanks in no small part to Musk, whose own behaviour over the last year has highlighted the need to scrutinise his every word and deed.”

    D. Gill Sperlein, one of Hothi’s lawyers, said: “Last year, Musk famously promised that he would never ‘settle an unjust case’. Yet, he has asked Hothi to accommodate him. We welcome Musk’s belated acknowledgment that this case was just.”

    Hothi locked horns with Tesla after he created the @skabooshka Twitter account where he fact-checked Musk and his company’s published claims regarding the electric vehicle manufacturer’s automation, technology and production processes.

    Beginning in 2018, Hothi, donning the role of a social activist, observed Tesla’s production at its Fremont, California-based factory.

    He also documented the construction of Tesla’s Model 3 assembly line tent, sharing photos of his Twitter followers.

    In April 2019, Tesla sought a restraining order against Hothi, alleging that the latter struck an employee with his car in a Tesla factory parking lot — an accusation that Hothi vehemently denied.

    When Hothi and his legal team successfully obtained a court order requiring Tesla to hand over video evidence of the alleged encounter, Tesla abruptly dropped its lawsuit in July 2019.

    Yet the following month, Musk e-mailed a reporter accusing Hothi of “actively harassing” and “almost kill(ing)” Tesla employees.

    That remark was later published and amplified to hundreds of thousands of people on Twitter.

    Musk’s accusations prompted an outpouring of public support for Hothi, including from whistleblowers, researchers, journalists, and critics.

    In August 2020, represented by Sperlein, Hothi filed a defamation lawsuit against Musk based on his remarks.

    Musk attempted to dispose of the case by arguing that his accusations were protected speech and hence should be dismissed under California’s anti-SLAPP law.

    In January 2021, the trial court rejected Musk’s arguments, holding that Hothi “has demonstrated the probability that he can succeed on the merits of his claim” because Musk’s remarks were tantamount to an accusation of crime, and thus legally constituted defamation per se.

    Hothi accepted Musk’s settlement offer on April 30, and is expected to request dismissal of the case on May 1, pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • UK Sikh temple warns after Indians lured with fake visas, job offers

    UK Sikh temple warns after Indians lured with fake visas, job offers

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    London: A Sikh temple in the UK has issued warnings after fraudsters impersonating as its members tried to trick people in India by making false job and visa promises with an intent of extracting money from them, media reports said.

    The Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend placed warnings on its social media pages after they were alerted to fake advertisements titled, “urgently needed in the UK”, offering free food and travel tickets for job opportunities at the Sikh temple, the Kent Online reported.

    “We had somebody come into the gurdwara last week who is here but her father is in India and she wanted to see if he could come over,” General secretary of the gurdwara, Jagdev Singh Virdee, said.

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    “Her father had been alerted to this ad and asked if it was a job so she came to check whether it’s genuine or not, and that’s how we first found out about it,” Virdee told Kent Online.

    Following this, nearly a dozen people got in touch with the gurdwara authorities to enquire about the advertisement, which has been circulated on the internet, and asked people to get in contact via WhatsApp.

    According to the news report, some have already gone through the process of exchanging passport information and personal details.

    Virdee said that the fraudsters have set up a website domain and email address similar to the gurdwara’s.

    “They are faking letters as if it’s a job offer from the gurdwara, then they’re saying to them, ‘you’ve had the job offer now so if you pay over so much money, then we’ll arrange a travel ticket and visa’,” Virdee told Kent Online.

    “Please be aware that the following flyer is being used to fraudulently obtain funds from individuals with a false promise of securing a UK visa and job at the Gurdwara Sahib. Please do not exchange any documents or money with this individual,” the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara posted on its website.

    “Though the image shows Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, Gravesend, this is no way affiliated to GNDG Gravesend,” it added.

    Virdee said that the crime has been reported to both Kent Police and the National Home Office of Action Fraud.

    A Kent Police spokesperson said they “received a report on March 29 that an unknown person had falsely purported to represent the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend online, in an attempt to defraud victims”.

    “Officers have been in contact with representatives at the Gurdwara and are investigating the circumstances,” the spokesperson said.

    Gravesend is home to more than 15,000 Sikhs.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Sikh sentenced in UK for targeting Dalits in offensive post

    Sikh sentenced in UK for targeting Dalits in offensive post

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    London: A 68-year-old Indian-origin Sikh in the UK has been prosecuted and sentenced to 18 weeks in jail for posting hate speech on social media targeting Dalit communities.

    Amrik Bajwa, 68, of Bowyer Drive, Slough, was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of sending offensive/indecent/obscene/menacing message/matter via public communication network, the Thames Valley Police said.

    On July 19, 2022, Bajwa posted a video to TikTok “that was offensive to the Sikh community”. He was arrested on July 22, 2022, and charged via postal requisition on March 2, 2023, a police statement read.

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    “I am pleased with the sentence given, which provides a clear message that Thames Valley Police will not tolerate behaviour like that of Amrik Bajwa,” Investigating officer Sergeant Andrew Grant, based at Slough police station, said.

    The UK-based Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA), which was one of the key organisations to bring the Bajwa’s TikTok video to the attention of the police, said it “was highly toxic, racist and casteist in content”, and targeted Dalit communities.

    “Bajwa threatened to rape women from the Dalit communities that he was insulting, and claimed to have raped their daughters, sisters and mothers in the past with impunity,” the ACDA said.

    Welcoming the sentencing, ACDA said the jail-term reflects the severity of the harm Amrik Bajwa’s video caused the Dalit community.

    “We understand the conviction did not specifically refer to ‘caste’ because caste is not yet a protected characteristic in law. But the Crime Prosecution Service shared at the hearing today the derogatory words ‘Choora’ and ‘Chaamar’ that Mr Bajwa used,” ACDA said in a statement.

    The matter first went to the Crown Prosecution Service for a charging decision but was subsequently escalated to the Attorney General for a final decision.

    Previously, Gurvinder Singh Luthra from west London received a 16 week suspended prison sentence in 2021 for producing and sharing an “offensive and menacing” hate video on social media.

    The Thames Valley Police started their investigations after numerous communities, including ACDA, got together and complained against Bajwa’s actions.

    “As a force, we are committed to protecting our communities and ensuring that criminal actions which have the potential to undermine community cohesion are dealt with robustly,” Sergeant Grant said.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Shots fired near Sikh temple in UK, 3 arrested

    Shots fired near Sikh temple in UK, 3 arrested

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    London: Police in the UK have stepped up patrols and arrested three people after shots were fired near a Sikh temple in Wolverhampton in central England.

    “We were called shortly before 7 p.m. yesterday (April 9) to Upper Villiers Street, where an argument took place between occupants of two cars and shots were fired,” the Wolverhampton Police said on Monday.

    One of these cars struck a vehicle being driven by a member of the public, who escaped unhurt.

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    Following initial enquiries at the scene, police stopped a car involved in the incident and arrested three men, who remain in custody as officers continue with their investigations.

    Calling it an “isolated incident”, Chief Superintendent Richard Fisher said that the worshippers were safe and there was no reason for concern.

    “We are confident this was an isolated incident and that there is no cause for wider concern in the community, including worshippers at the nearby gurdwara, we will maintain a presence to provide reassurance,” Fisher said.

    A car park belonging to the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara is currently closed, according to a local media report.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Khalistan movement fizzling out due to pro-Sikh steps taken by PM: Sikh delegation to Sitharaman

    Khalistan movement fizzling out due to pro-Sikh steps taken by PM: Sikh delegation to Sitharaman

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    Washington: The steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of the Sikh community including their long-pending demands have resulted in the fizzling out of the separatist Khalistan movement, a delegation of Sikh Americans told the visiting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday.

    Led by its chairman Jasdeep (Jassee) Singh and president Kanwaljit Singh Soni, the delegation felicitated her with traditional Saropa, memento, and flower bouquet.

    Applauding the Modi Government for being there for Sikhs and for implementing several demands from the Sikh Community in the past nine years, Jassee Singh also said that due to these actions of the prime minister, Khalistan movement has fizzled out in the USA.

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    “In all of the USA, there are no more than a handful of Khalistanis who give the entire large Sikh community a bad name,” Singh was quoted as saying in a media note issued after the meeting.

    The delegation said the Sikhs are nationalists and stand with united India and all Sikh issues will be resolved within the framework and constitution of India.

    He requested the Finance Minister to forgive the large debt on Punjab stemming from the militancy years in the state and to declare it an enterprise zone where investments can be done for industries so that youth of Punjab can have a better future for them, the media release said.

    During a meeting with a delegation of Overseas Friends of BJP team, headed by its national president Adapa Prasad, Sitharaman spoke about how the Modi government transformed India and set the country on a growth path.

    In order to maintain this stable growth and fulfil Modi’s vision of Amrit Kaal of India, it is imperative for the BJP and Modi to win with full majorities in the coming parliamentary elections, the finance minister said.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Group of Sikh pilgrims depart for Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi

    Group of Sikh pilgrims depart for Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi

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    Amritsar: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Sunday sent a ‘jatha’ (group) of Sikh pilgrims to participate in a religious congregation to be organised on Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi) at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib in Pakistan.

    Besides the SGPC, Sikh devotees sponsored by Haryana Gurdwara Management and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee also crossed over to Pakistan on Sunday through the Joint Check post of Attari border (JCP), officials said.

    The total strength of Sikh pilgrims who crossed over to Pakistan was 2,500.

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    SGPC secretary Partap Singh said this ‘jatha’ has departed to participate in the main congregation of Khalsa Sajna Diwas (Baisakhi) to be organised at Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib.

    He said the ‘jatha’ will reach Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib on April 9, and after paying obeisance at Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Sahib, Mandi Chuharkana, on April 10, it will return to Nankana Sahib.

    The jatha will reach Gurdwara Sri Panja Sahib on April 12, and participate in the main congregation on April 14, he said.

    On April 15, the ‘jatha’ of Sikh pilgrims will reach Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore, and visit Gurdwara Rori Sahib, Eminabad, as well as Gurdwara Sri Kartapur Sahib on April 16. After staying at Gurdwara Dehra Sahib, Lahore, on April 17, the ‘jatha’ will return to India on April 18, he said.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Resolution introduced in US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day

    Resolution introduced in US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day

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    Resolution introduced in US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day

    Washington: A bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day in a bid to honour and celebrate the important role played by the Sikh community in strengthening and inspiring the people of the United States.

    Observing that the US is enriched by the diversity of its residents, who have cultivated a climate of social tolerance and intellectual pluralism that has sustained the Nation throughout its history, the resolution said that Vaisakhi is a special occasion in which Sikhs remember the founding in 1699 of the Order of Khalsa, which played an important role in shaping the religion’s history and identity.

    Introduced by Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, the resolution says that through leading charitable events, the Sikh community embodies the sense of public service that underlies the founding principles of the US.

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    Stating that people of the US feel obliged to honour the Sikh community’s important role in supporting and enriching the social fabric of the Nation, the resolution said Vaisakhi is a special occasion in which Sikhs remember the founding in 1699 of the Order of Khalsa, a fellowship of devout saint-soldier Sikhs, by the 10th Sikh Guru to fight tyranny and oppression, which played an important role in shaping the religion’s history and identity.

    “It is altogether fitting and proper to celebrate the day of Vaisakhi alongside Sikhs throughout the world and to honour the lasting contributions made by the Sikh community to the US,” said the resolution.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Canadian Sikh facing assault, mischief charges turns himself in: Police

    Canadian Sikh facing assault, mischief charges turns himself in: Police

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    Toronto: A 28-year-old Sikh, facing facing multiple charges including assault, uttering threats, and mischief, has turned himself in at Vancouver Provincial Court, police said.

    Manveer Singh Dhesi, who turned himself in on March 31, is known to live in Surrey but police said he also frequents Burnaby in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

    The Burnaby Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had put out a notice earlier this week seeking public assistance in locating Dhesi wanted on a British Columbia wide arrest warrant.

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    According to information presented during a bail hearing on March 31, Dhesi’s charges relate to alleged incidents on March 13 at his ex-girlfriend’s home, Burnaby Now reported.

    His ex-girlfriend, her sister, her brother-in-law and her brother-in-law’s brother were all at the house, according to Crown prosecutor Jennifer Dyck.

    “There was an alleged incident where Dhesi turned up at their home, assaulted, allegedly, two of the individuals and barged into the home without consent,” Dyck told Burnaby Now.

    British Columbia provincial court Judge Jeffrey Campbell ordered Dhesi to pay a fine of $500, and asked him not to go within two blocks of his ex-girlfriend’s house, or contact any of his alleged victims.

    Dhesi’s next court hearing is scheduled for April 27.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Pakistan: Sikh businessman shot dead by unknown gunmen in Peshawar

    Pakistan: Sikh businessman shot dead by unknown gunmen in Peshawar

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    Peshawar: A Sikh businessman was shot dead on Friday by unknown assailants here, in the latest incident of targeted attacks against minority communities in Pakistan.

    The incident took place at 3 pm when armed men on a motorcycle opened fire at Dayal Singh, a businessman in Peshawar’s Dir Colony area, police said.

    The gunmen fled the scene after committing the crime, they said.

    Police have collected 30 bore bullet shells from the site of the crime. CCTV footage from the shop has been obtained and the police have launched an investigation into the attack.

    The Peshawar killing comes a day after a Hindu doctor was shot dead by unknown assailants in Karachi.

    Last week, shopkeepers from the minority Hindu community were assaulted in the Sindh province for “allegedly violating the Ramzan ordinance,” according to the Express Tribune newspaper.

    About 15,000 Sikhs live in Peshawar, mostly in the Jogan Shah neighbourhood of the provincial capital Peshawar.

    Most of the members of the Sikh community in Peshawar are involved in business, while some also have pharmacies.

    In September last year, a well-known Sikh hakeem’ (Unani medicine practitioner) was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar.

    In 2018, Charanjit Singh, a prominent Sikh community member, was killed by unknown men in Peshawar.

    Similarly, news channel anchor Ravinder Singh was killed in 2020 in the city. In 2016, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf National Assembly member Soren Singh was also killed in Peshawar.

    Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.

    According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in the Muslim-majority country.

    Muslims account for about 96 per cent of Pakistan’s 207 million population, Hindus 2.1 per cent and Christians about 1.6 per cent according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates.

    The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim residents.

    The Ahmadis, Sikhs and Parsis are also among the notable religious minorities in Pakistan.

    (Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )