KELOWNA — Fellow international students and members of the Sikh community gathered Sunday morning near a Kelowna bus stop on Highway 97 to call for justice after an attack on Friday night.
At about 10:30 p.m., Gagandeep Singh was attacked by a group of people near Highway 97 and McCurdy Road after he got off a transit bus. He was treated for a wide range of injuries at Kelowna General Hospital.
“Everybody is feeling unsafe,” said friend Navsher Singh Sandhu. “He got pulled by his hair, all along the mud. They took his turban. That’s totally a hate crime.”
Gagandeep Singh’s roommate Hartarn Singh said his parents back home in India are worried about his safety.
“It could happen to anybody here. If we are not safe here then what can we do for our safety?” he said.
Kelowna city councillor Mohini Singh said she’s in complete shock that this could happen in this day and age in Kelowna.
“This young man, he’s a student. He was just going home after buying a bag of groceries. To be swarmed and beaten like this is so, so wrong,” she said.
“This is racism at its worst. It should be investigated as a hate crime. And the perpetrators need to be found and held accountable.”
Kelowna RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera said the assault is a top priority for investigators. But he did not say if any suspects have been identified. No arrests have been made.
Della-Paolera said that while police are investigating the case as an assault, that could change once the suspects are identified and investigators understand the full story.
Friends of Gagandeep Singh have organized a GoFundMe page to help him with recovery costs. The international student has lived in Kelowna for a year.
“Kelowna is a welcoming and diverse community, filled with residents who are full of love and compassion,” the page states. “Together we can show that there’s no place for hate and violence in our community.”
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