You are reading

Police Release Photos of Suspect Wanted for Punching 70-Year-Old Sikh Man in Alleged Bias Attack

Suspect (NYPD) and Nirmal Singh, 70, after he was punched in an unprovoked attack Sunday (Photo  @JapneetSingh4NY)

April 6, 2022 By Czarinna Andres

The NYPD has released photos and video of a man wanted for allegedly attacking a 70-year-old Sikh man in Richmond Hill Sunday in what cops believe was a hate crime.

The suspect is wanted for punching Nirmal Singh, a visitor from India, in the face while the victim was walking in the vicinity of Lefferts Boulevard and 95th Avenue in traditional Sikh clothing at around 6:45 a.m.

The man allegedly punched Singh without provocation, according to police, without a word being uttered. Singh’s nose was broken and face bruised—and he was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he was treated and released.

The investigation is being conducted by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force.

The suspect is described as being black, with an average build. He was last seen wearing black sneakers, jeans and a blue hooded sweatshirt.

The attack was condemned by both elected leaders and members of the south Asian community.

“The attack on the 70-year-old Sikh man in Richmond Hill over the weekend was a despicable display of hatred and cowardice,” said State Sen. Joseph Addabbo.

Meanwhile, Harpreet Toor, a Sikh Indian who unsuccessfully ran for City Council in the 23rd District last year, expressed outrage following the attack.

“This is happening far too often in New York City,” Toor said.

He said the South Asian community needs to be protected.

“We don’t want lip service; we want to see something concrete.”

Anyone with information in regard to the attack— or is able to identity the suspect—is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

email the author: [email protected]

3 Comments

Click for Comments 
Ira Birnbaum

Looks like the media had it wrong the past two years. The greatest threat to minorities weren’t white males or white supremacists. Look at every hate crime in the last two years and it seems only one was committed by a white male which isn’t a surprise to me but if this even gets posted that would.

14
1
Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

QBP Richards, advocates rally to demand Mayor Adams restore funding to City’s libraries

May. 17, 2024 By Gabriele Holtermann

A rally was held at the Queens Public Library at Forest Hills on May 16, during which Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott, union reps and library advocates called on Mayor Eric Adams to reverse the proposed $58.3 million budget cuts to the New York Public Library (NYPL), the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), and the Queens Public Library (QBL) for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins on July 1, 2024.

Queens elected officials secure $70 million from New York State Budget for school safety equipment in religious and independent schools

May. 17, 2024 By Anthony Medina

Religious and independent schools throughout the city will soon receive additional funding for school safety equipment, thanks to Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi and State Senator Michael Gianaris, who, after extensive advocacy efforts, successfully secured $70 million from the New York State Budget for 2024-25 for Non-Public School Safety Equipment (NPSE) grants.

Decomposing body of adult found outside Rego Park apartment building: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills made a gruesome discovery Sunday after residents of a Rego Park apartment building complained of smelling noxious fumes. Officers found the badly decomposed body of an adult lying in the bushes near scaffolding at 92-40 Queens Blvd. just before 1:00 p.m.

EMS responded to the location and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. There were no visible signs of trauma and no identification on the body, police said, adding that the sex and age of the victim has not yet been determined, according to an NYPD spokesman, who added that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.