A Sikh student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte was allegedly detained on campus for wearing a Kirpan, one of the integral parts of five Sikh Kakars.
The video of the incident was initially shared by the student, who posted it on Twitter saying that the police handcuffed him for resisting letting the officer take his Kirpan out of the miyaan.
“I wasn’t going to post this, but I don’t think I will receive any support from @unccharlotte. I was told someone called 911 and reported me, and I got cuffed for “resisting” because I refused to let the officer take my kirpan out of the miyaan.”
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned the incident and also took it up with the Indian ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh. He also urged foreign minister S Jaishankar to ensure the religious freedom of the Sikhs in the US.
Sharing the video on Twitter, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa wrote, “Despite numerous global campaigns to create awareness about Sikh Kakars, it’s disheartening to see the Campus Police at University of North Carolina detain a Sikh youth for his Kirpan. I condemn the discriminatory attitude of University authorities towards Sikh students,” Sirsa tweeted.
“We demand an apology from Campus Police and Univ Admin at @unccharlotte that detained a Sikh youth for his Kirpan, a quintessential part of Sikh Kakars. We are in constant touch with @IndianEmbassyUS and @MEAIndia to ensure the Amritdhari student is released with due respect,” Sirsa, a former legislator, said in a tweet.
“I must appreciate the Sikh student who explained the significance of Kirpan with such faith. We demand an apology from @unccharlotte admin for this racial attitude. I also urge @DrSJaishankar Ji to address the issue of discrimination faced by Sikh students at global level,” he added.
The Sikh student later tweeted, " Update for the masses: I received my kirpan back ?? thank you all for the continuous support."
(ANI)
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)