'Sikh' struck on head in hate-motivated assault in Canada
Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Jan, 2023 01:19 PM
Toronto, Jan 23 (IANS) A man, apparently a Sikh, was allegedly struck on the head, causing his turban to fall on the ground, by an unidentified man, who also made "derogatory comments" at a subway station in Canada, police said.
Police officers responded to an assault call at the Bloor-Yonge Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway station following the incident last week.
Upon reaching the scene, police found that a man had been struck on the head causing his "religious head covering" -- which they later identified as turban -- to fall on the ground.
The suspect allegedly passed derogatory comments at the victim before he left the TTC station, the Toronto Police said in a statement.
The victim, whose age or religious affiliation were not released by the police, sustained minor injuries on his head.
However, a report in Omni News, a multicultural and multilingual broadcaster in Canada, confirmed the identity of the victim as Sikh in its report.
The suspect was last seen wearing a blue hat and a black jacket and was carrying a black bag.
"After consultation with the specialised Hate Crime Unit, the investigation is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence," the Toronto police said in its statement.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said police are investigating the hate-motivated assault of a man at the subway station. "Our transit system - and city at large - must be safe places for all and free of hatred, without exception," Tory tweeted after the incident.
"Hate has no place in our city. We must all call out and stand together against discrimination and violence," he said.
Condemning the incident, the Toronto Transit Commission said that they will continue to assist Toronto Police in the course of their investigation.
These occurrences are concerning as they pose a high risk to the health and safety of the individuals being drugged with unknown substances. If you have been drugged, it is highly recommended that you seek medical assistance immediately. Police believe that there are likely additional victims who are reluctant to make a police report.
“Three violent attacks happened in close proximity to each other within a short time-frame,” says Constable Tania Visintin. “At this time, investigators are trying to determine if any of the assaults are related.”
In June of 2022, a victim of identity fraud contacted Port Moody Police after discovering a credit card was opened in their name and a $5000 purchase had been made on said credit card. The investigator was able to trace the fraudulent transaction and identify suspect. This lead the investigation to multiple properties in Surrey including a secure storage facility.
The Greater Vancouver Zoo says in a statement the discovery of the one-year-old female canine known as Tempest puts an end to a three-day search and rescue operation.
On Thursday in the early morning hours of 3am, three suspects entered the Coop Gas Bar located 34900 block of Lougheed Hwy. The suspects used two chop saws to cut open the ATM and steal and undisclosed amount of cash.
No one was injured as a result of this shooting, but police are looking for more witnesses and, in particular, anyone who might have dashcam or surveillance video of any vehicles or people in the area at the time.
