'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.
Gasoline prices in Canada continue to creep higher ahead of the Thanksgiving long weekend. And while the price of crude oil slumped in September, with the international benchmark Brent sagging as low as US$84 in recent days after spending most of the summer months over $100 per barrel, it jumped on Wednesday after the OPEC Plus alliance of oil-exporting countries decided to sharply cut production.
Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and the federal government have tabled a new and long-awaited plan in the House of Commons to improve access to diabetes treatment and prevention in Canada. Liberal MP Sonia Sidhu called for the framework as part of a private member's bill that became law in 2021.
The VPD says it launched an investigation Tuesday after being alerted by a social media post that the glass covering the memorial in Coal Harbour had been shattered. Const. Jason Doucette says officers are looking into any links to what he called a "similar crime" in which glass sections of the Olympic Cauldron less than 200 metres away were smashed on Saturday morning.
A statement posted to social media by the B.C. Conservation Officer Service says the family of four turned and ran when the bear charged them Monday evening. The service says the bear chased them and attacked one woman, while another woman and a teenage boy were injured trying to help her.
The homicide team says in a statement that Kia Ebrahimian pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday. Police were called to a Langley house fire on June 13, 2020, and found the bodies of the man's mother Tatiana Bazyar, his brother Befrin Ebrahimian and Francesco Zangrilli.
The federal government plans to send cheques of up to $650 to qualifying low- and medium-income households to help pay for children's dental needs through the same platform used for Canada Child Benefit payments. That is run through the Canada Revenue Agency, which the experts suggest could be a problem because many low-income families are less likely to file tax returns.
