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Sept 11 hate crime victim's brother killed

Sukhpal Singh Sodhi, brother of Balbir Singh Sodhi, the first South Asian killed in the hate crimes following the September 11 attacks, was killed in San Francisco on Sunday, the police said.

Sukhpal, a resident of Daly City, California and a United Cab driver, was going home in his car after his shift, at around 1530 IST, when someone shot him from the outside, said the police.

There is no evidence linking Sukhpal's killing to the hate crimes and he may have been the victim of a bullet intended for somebody else, they said.

"We don't exactly know what we have, but from all indications, it looked like the cab driver was in the wrong place at the wrong time through no fault of his own," Inspector Joseph Toomey told the local media.

The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force has urged the police to investigate the murder as a hate crime.

Reports said that as the gunshots rang out, Sukhpal's taxi careened down the 24th Street towards Mission Steet and struck a parked car, which hit another car and burst into flames.

Sukhpal's cab then sheared off an electrical pole, snapping high and low-voltage wires and cutting off power supply in the neighbourhood.

Sukhpal was pronounced dead at the scene with one gunshot wound.

The murder has sent shock waves through the entire Indian community in the country.

Sukhpal's cousin, Harjit Singh Sodhi from Phoenix, Arizona, said, "Like all American citizens, we want peace. They (the two brothers) came here to live good lives. It (both killings) is terrible. I pray for peace and for God to bless us, and all victims of this type of violence."

Sukhpal came to America in 1990 and worked for several years as a taxi driver supporting his family in India.

Sukhpal is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son who live in Passiwal village of Punjab, according to Harjit Singh.

Balbir shared the apartment in San Francisco, with his brother Sukhpal, and worked as a cab driver before moving to Mesa, Arizona, fearing a threat to his life.

He became the first Asian victim of the September 11 hate crimes, when a gunman driving through his gas station, shot him dead, four days later.

Sikhs were targeted soon after the September 11 attacks, as they closely resemble Afghans, blamed for the attack, due to the their turbans and colour of the skin.

Also see:
Attacks on Sikhs a crime, says America
India ask US to prevent attacks on Sikhs
Indian Embassy condemns attacks on Sikhs

Attack on America: The Complete Coverage

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