LONDON: In what is thought to be a first in Britain, a man has been successfully prosecuted and sent to jail for posting an offensive casteist message on social media.
Amrik Singh Bajwa (68) has been sentenced to 18 weeks in jail after posting a video on TikTok which was offensive to the Sikh community, Thames Valley police said.
Bajwa, who lives in Slough, pleaded guilty to one count of sending by public communication network an offensive message on July 19, 2022 when he appeared in court on April 4 this year. He was arrested on July 22, 2022 and charged on March 2 this year, the police said.
Caste Watch UK, which campaigns against caste discrimination in Britain, said the post “deliberately targeted” communities “described as Dalit, hurling sexual abuse and obscenities with threats of rape”.
It added that in the TikTok message, Bajwa also “glorified” a community “for sexually abusing Dalit women in Indian villages as a matter of pride”, Caste Watch UK said.
“It is perhaps the first case of its kind in the UK where caste-based slurs and sexual hate speech have been prosecuted. It was criminally reckless for Bajwa to post this casteist material online for others to view. It shows the contempt of one caste group for another caste group, a practice familiar in countries like India. His criminal conviction will send a strong message that such caste hate speech and abuse will not be tolerated in Britain,” it said.
Members of Sikh Federation UK, as well as from gurdwaras in Gravesend and Southall, stood outside Slough magistrates’ court during the proceedings, Caste Watch UK said.
Investigating officer Sergeant Andrew Grant, based at Slough police station, said: “I would like to thank all of the key witnesses who offered their time and support to assist with this investigation. I am pleased with the sentence given, which provides a clear message that Thames Valley police will not tolerate behaviour like that of Amrik Bajwa.”
“As a force, we are committed to protecting our communities and ensuring that criminal actions which have the potential to undermine community cohesion are dealt with robustly,” he said.
Amrik Singh Bajwa (68) has been sentenced to 18 weeks in jail after posting a video on TikTok which was offensive to the Sikh community, Thames Valley police said.
Bajwa, who lives in Slough, pleaded guilty to one count of sending by public communication network an offensive message on July 19, 2022 when he appeared in court on April 4 this year. He was arrested on July 22, 2022 and charged on March 2 this year, the police said.
Caste Watch UK, which campaigns against caste discrimination in Britain, said the post “deliberately targeted” communities “described as Dalit, hurling sexual abuse and obscenities with threats of rape”.
It added that in the TikTok message, Bajwa also “glorified” a community “for sexually abusing Dalit women in Indian villages as a matter of pride”, Caste Watch UK said.
“It is perhaps the first case of its kind in the UK where caste-based slurs and sexual hate speech have been prosecuted. It was criminally reckless for Bajwa to post this casteist material online for others to view. It shows the contempt of one caste group for another caste group, a practice familiar in countries like India. His criminal conviction will send a strong message that such caste hate speech and abuse will not be tolerated in Britain,” it said.
Members of Sikh Federation UK, as well as from gurdwaras in Gravesend and Southall, stood outside Slough magistrates’ court during the proceedings, Caste Watch UK said.
Investigating officer Sergeant Andrew Grant, based at Slough police station, said: “I would like to thank all of the key witnesses who offered their time and support to assist with this investigation. I am pleased with the sentence given, which provides a clear message that Thames Valley police will not tolerate behaviour like that of Amrik Bajwa.”
“As a force, we are committed to protecting our communities and ensuring that criminal actions which have the potential to undermine community cohesion are dealt with robustly,” he said.