SALDEF commends Montgomery County Police for efforts in apprehending alleged perpetrators Washington, DC: October 4, 2007 – Yesteday, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nations oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, was informed that five teens have been arrested in connection with a string of attacks in Burtonsville, Maryland. SALDEF spoke directly with Chief Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department who discussed the arrests and indicated that additional arrests are expected. On September 15, 2007, two Sikhs, Darshan Singh Sarang and Bhupinder Singh Nibber, were walking near their home when they were approached by a group of six young men. One of the teenagers struck Mr. Sarang on the side of his face, fracturing his eye socket and causing him to fall to the ground. When Mr. Nibber threatened to call the police, he was also assaulted by the group. Additionally, on September 16, 2007, a Muslim American man also from Burtonsville, was accosted in a similar incident by a group of teenagers while he was standing in front of his apartment complex. This individual informed SALDEF of the attack in order to determine if the attacks were linked. It has also been reported that a third victim experienced a similar violent attack days after these two incidents. “We are pleased to hear that arrests have been made in these string of violent attacks,” said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “The Sikh, Arab, and Muslim American communities have been waiting anxiously over the past 2 weeks. We commend the Montgomery County Police Department for their steadfast dedication to bringing these assailants to justice and showing that hate will not be tolerated in Maryland.” While this is a positive development, and SALDEF continues to work with Montgomery County officials, we urge the community to be vigilant by taking precautions and not placing themselves in vulnerable situations. SALDEF encourages the community to join SALDEF’s programs to broaden awareness of the Sikh faith and community across the State of Maryland, especially for non-Sikh youth. To read more about this incident:
