New York: Hate crime among multiple charges levelled against New York man in fatal attack on Indian-American

NEW YORK: A New York City man faces multiple charges, including hate crimes, following an attack on a 66-year-old Sikh man after a car collision. The 30 year old defendant, Gilbert Augustin, is a resident of Queens. The incident occurred on October 19 when Jasmer Singh collided with Augustin in the borough.
According to the Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz’s office, the collision happened as Jasmer was driving his wife home from a doctor’s appointment in preparation for an upcoming trip to India, as per reports.
During the escalating dispute between the two drivers, Augustin reportedly referred to Singh, who wore a turban, as “turban man,” as stated in a news release by prosecutors. Subsequently, Augustin allegedly punched Singh three times in the head and face, which resulted in Singh falling and hitting his head on the pavement.
After this Singh sustained a brain injury and was subsequently transported to a hospital. Tragically, he passed away the following day.
“This is a case of a fender bender immediately escalating to hateful language and then brutal, deadly violence,” Katz said in the release. “We will show in court that it was a rage inflamed by hate that led to this senseless tragedy.”
Although on Tuesday, Augustin entered a plea of not guilty to 20 charges associated with the incident. These charges encompass first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime and second-degree assault as a hate crime, as indicated in court records.
Additionally, the list of charges includes reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting it, and operating a motor vehicle without a license. This information was contained in an indictment filed in a state court within Queens County.
Notably, it was mentioned that the incident was not initially investigated as a hate crime, according to a spokesperson from the New York Police Department.
“During a Queens district attorney’s grand jury, new information came to light that was not originally revealed to NYPD detectives,” the spokesperson said.
James Concemore Neville, Augustin’s defence attorney, called the case “a very difficult one”. “I will say that it’s a very sad, tragic case and that my job in this situation … is to protect Augustin’s rights – his constitutional rights,” Neville said.
Furthermore, Augustin is scheduled to appear in court on December 6. He can possibly face a prison sentence of up to 25 years, according to the district attorney’s office, as per reports.
Following the assault, Jasmer’s son, Multani, spoke about his father, describing him as an educated, noble, and simple person. Jasmir Singh who was 68, had come to the United States from India to provide for his family.
Multani also revealed the extent of his father’s injuries, saying, “My father’s skull was broken, and he lost two front teeth.”
Additionally, Multani strongly believes that his father’s Sikh appearance, including wearing a turban, was the primary reason for the brutal attack. He is advocating for his father’s death to be classified as a hate crime, according to CBS News.
Multani added, “The individual was targeting my father based on his attire, specifically his turban. There was no justification for such intensity. My father was singled out, and it could potentially be a hate crime.”