Beating of a Sikh Priest in Queens Investigated as Possible Hate Crime
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The president of an organization founded to create awareness of the city’s Sikh population was beaten bloody in broad daylight by a group of men in Queens, and police arrested a suspect in what is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
Rajinder Singh Khalsa, 54, president of the Sikh Recognition Trust of America, said he suffered a broken nose in the attack, which occurred in Richmond Hill at the corner of Lefferts Boulevard and 101st Avenue at 5:55 p.m. on Sunday.
Mr. Khalsa, a Sikh priest who wears the traditional beard and turban of his religion, said five or six men punched him, threw him to the ground, and then kicked him repeatedly as he lay on the pavement.
“This one guy was telling us, ‘Go back to India,'” said Mr. Khalsa, who was born in New Delhi. Police arrested Salvatore Maceli, 26, of 31 Ethel St., Valley Stream, in the attack. He was charged with assault as a hate crime, assault, and aggravated harassment.
Gurcharan Singh, 51, owner of Tandoori Express Restaurant and a cousin of Mr. Khalsa, said the incident began when he went to his restaurant to meet Mr. Khalsa for tea. Mr. Singh said two or three men in front of a neighboring restaurant harassed him about his turban, which they mockingly referred to as a “curtain.”
Mr. Singh said the men punched him several times, ripped off his turban and threw it to the street. Mr. Singh said Mr. Khalsa intervened and began to explain the religious significance of the turban, as another two or three men came out of the neighboring restaurant.
“They leave me and started punching on him, pushing him to the floor,” said Mr. Singh. “They started kicking him. When he was bloody on the face, they left in two cars.”
Mr. Singh said he called 911 during the dispute and took down the license plate number of the attackers’ car.
Mr. Khalsa, who flies an American flag in front of his house, said he has been insulted over his religion numerous times and that people sometimes call him “bin Laden” as if he was a terrorist.
“We all condemn the terrorism,” said Mr. Khalsa. “We Sikh people are very peaceful. We are very sentimental about the American flag.”
