A Call for Truth and Accountability in North Hollywood
On Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from Gurdial Singh ji, the brother of Harpal Singh ji who was violently assaulted in the parking lot of the 7-11 in North Hollywood, just a couple doors down from the local Gurdwara where he stayed.
The call was related to the preliminary hearing the next day. The defendant would be present and the DA would read the charges against him. Gurdial ji was calling local sangat members to attend the hearing to show support. I was surprised that after he shared the details of the hearing that the conversation quickly turned to food.
He wanted to make sure no one was hungry at the hearing. He was planning to bring paronthey (stuffed or layered pan-fried flatbread) and daahi (yogurt) to the hearing, and he wanted to know if he should bring sabji (vegetables) as well. It took me back that in the face of such personal tragedy and loss this was focused on others, but in coming to know the family over the last several weeks I should not have been surprised at all.
I have been in touch with Gurdial Singh ji and his family about the assault for several weeks now. Like everyone else, I saw the video of Harpal Singh ji with blood streaming down his face, clearly having been brutally beaten. In seeing these images, I was both deeply saddened and heartbroken. While I did not know Harpal Singh ji personally, the way he sat still and crossed legged in this moment of tragedy, to me signaled quiet strength, calm and fortitude in the face of senseless violence.
In addition to being the Executive Director of SALDEF, I am also a resident of North Hollywood. My husband works walking distance from the 7-11 where Harpal Singh was assaulted. We are both intimately familiar with the area. In the course of the last couple weeks I have had the opportunity to have conversations with neighbors and sangat members about Harpal Singh, the North Hollywood community and the assault. From these many conversations, a clear picture of Harpal Singh ji emerges.
Harpal Singh ji is a devout Gursikh who selflessly served his sangat and as well as the greater North Hollywood community. In speaking to community members, they recall Harpal Singh ji feeding the birds, providing meals to the hungry and helping those in need. Many fondly recalled seeing him on his daily walks.
Harpal Singh’s family lives out these values as well. I recall my conversations with the Bhai Sahibs at the North Hollywood gurdwara. They shared how Gurdial Singh ji frequently attends the gurdwara as early as 4 am to do seva. That is why, in retrospect, I should not have been at all surprised that, the day before the hearing, a time in which Harpal Singh ji’s family would come face to face with the man who allegedly perpetrated a brutal attack against their loved one, their focus was on the community.
Right now, this case is still under investigation by LAPD. The hearing this past Wednesday, August 27th, was called and moved to next Tuesday, September 2nd, at which time we will see the evidence presented by the DA’s office.
And yet, while Harpal Singh ji remains in critical condition, unable to speak for himself, the LAPD Chief of Police has publicly labeled the attack as a “property dispute”. To me and many in our community, this feels not only premature but also deeply inconsistent with the Harpal Singh ji that we know, or in my case, have come to know. Unless there are witnesses who saw what led up to the assault or there is evidence of what led up it, there will be a piecing together of the facts. Our community deserves the truth of what happened that afternoon. Harpal Singh’s family deserves accountability. And our sangat, which has shown such grace and resilience in the face of violence, deserves a legal system that honors their dignity rather than dismisses their pain.
As we seek the truth from our imperfect legal system, my sincere hope is that the verdict will be reflective of reality and that Harpal Singh’s family and our community will get the answers we so desperately seek.
SALDEF continues to call for a full and thorough investigation. Above all, we ask for the truth of what happened to Harpal Singh ji the afternoon of August 4, 2025 in North Hollywood, CA.
In pursuit of truth and justice,
Kiran Kaur Gill | SALDEF Executive Director