Man convicted of killing Sikh taxi driver in dispute over fare in UK
London, Jun 25: A man has been convicted of killing a Sikh taxi driver in central England in 2022, following an argument over the method of payment of his fare.
Tomasz Margol, 36, was found guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week of 59-year-old Anakh Singh's manslaughter in an incident which occurred in October 2022. He will be sentenced for the crime next month.
"This was a senseless and tragic act of violence," said Detective Inspector (DI) Michelle Thurgood, from the Wolverhampton Police CID.
"Singh was a law-abiding man of good character who was simply trying to do his job. Our thoughts remain with Singh's family at this difficult time," she said.
The court heard that on the morning of October 30, 2022, Anakh Singh was found collapsed in Nine Elms Lane with serious injuries, which he died of at the scene.
Singh had picked up Margol in his taxi before the two got into an argument over the method of payment for the journey.
"This escalated to Margol subjecting Singh to a sickening assault including headbutting, punching and kicking him while he was on the floor," the police said.
Having carried out CCTV enquiries, officers identified Margol and arrested him at an address a few miles away later that day.
When he was arrested, Margol made a significant comment to the arresting officers: "It's about what happened today... about the beating."
Anakh Singh's family paid tribute to the "loving husband, father and a well-respected member of the community".
"This loss has left us heartbroken and has forever changed our lives. We miss him dearly. We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us during this tough time," they said.
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Muslim man assaulted for offering namaz on vacant land in front of temple in Uttarakhand
Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) (PTI): An elderly Muslim man was allegedly assaulted by some people and forced to chant religious slogans after he offered namaz on a vacant land in front of a temple here, police said on Tuesday.
A video of the incident is doing the rounds on social media. In the video, the accused are seen thrashing the man with sticks and hurling abuses at him.
The man, Shahid, a resident of the Resham Bari area, offered namaz during the ongoing month of Ramzan in front of the Atriya Temple in Jagatpura.
Shahid said he has been working near the temple for several days and claimed that the land where he offered namaz is quite far from the temple.
After learning about the incident, members of the Muslim community accompanied Shahid to the local police station and filed a complaint.
They claimed that one of the accused has been convicted in a murder case and currently out on parole.
Temple manager Arvind Sharma said activities associated with any other religion will not be tolerated on the temple land, even if a case is filed against him.
Police reached the spot and appealed to both communities to maintain peace.
Shahid is undergoing a medical examination. Further legal action will be taken based on the complaint, police said.
Municipal Councillor Parvez Qureshi termed the incident unacceptable.
"This matter is extremely serious. Assaulting a person is unacceptable. If anyone had any objection (to namaz being offered), the administration should have been informed. We demand an impartial investigation and strict action against the culprits to avoid a repeat of such incidents in the future," he said.
Congress leader Sofia Naz said the incident is detrimental to social harmony.
"Maintaining law and order in the state is the responsibility of the state government. Violence and forced chanting of slogans in the name of religion are against the spirit of the Constitution. The administration should take immediate action and provide justice to the victim," Naz said.
