A 70-year-old Sikh man, Harpal Singh, is fighting for his life after a brutal attack near a gurdwara in North Hollywood, Los Angeles. Singh was reportedly struck multiple times with a golf club by an unidentified assailant while on his daily walk last Monday. The attack left him with severe head injuries, including broken facial bones and bleeding in the brain, and he has undergone three surgeries since. His brother, Gurdial Singh Randhawa, said Singh has been kept under sedation and remains unconscious.
Video footage taken moments after the incident shows Singh slumped on the pavement in a pool of blood, with the golf club lying at his feet. Witnesses told police the attacker was a man in his 50s riding a bicycle at the time. No arrests have been made, and authorities have stated they are not currently investigating the case as a hate crime—a decision that has stirred concern in the local Sikh community.
Singh was a regular presence at the Los Angeles gurdwara, where he came daily for prayer, meditation, and to feed birds in a nearby parking lot. Friends describe him as peaceful and devoted. His violent assault has sparked alarm among Sikh residents, who say the lack of intervention during the attack and the absence of immediate arrests have heightened fear.
On August 11, members of the Sikh community gathered for a healing prayer led by Randhawa. Advocacy groups, including the Sikh Coalition, are calling for increased police presence in the area to ensure community safety. “The fact that this happened and no one came to stop it until Singh was in such critical condition has absolutely spread fear in our community,” said Munmeeth Kaur, the Coalition’s legal director. “We’re demanding increased security so our community can move freely without fear.”
District 7 LA City Council member Monica Rodriguez condemned the attack, stating, “An assault on any one member of our community is an assault on all of us.” The victim’s family has appealed to the public for information, urging anyone who may have seen the suspect or know more about the incident to come forward.
This case has now become both a criminal investigation and a community safety issue, as advocates push for justice while rallying for stronger protection measures around places of worship.
Do you want me to also prepare a longer, more detailed version that includes broader context on recent attacks against Sikhs in the US for a deeper background section? That would make it read more like a full investigative news piece.
