Sikh council nominee racially targeted in Australia
Melbourne, Oct 23 : A Sikh man running for the city council in Australia has been racially targeted by a man in a truck shouting racial slurs at a life-sized cut-out made from one of his election placards, according to a media report.
Sunny Singh, a Port Augusta City Council nominee, said a social media video targeting his race is the first time he has experienced racism in the local community, ABC news reported.
He was attacked in a video posted to a national trucking Facebook page.
The video shows a man in a truck directing racial slurs at a life-sized cut-out made from one of Singh's election placards, which is eventually run over by the truck, the report said.
"I was a little upset and shocked because I'd never even seen this man before, never met him, I don't know why he did it" Singh was quoted as saying by the report.
"I was amazed how welcoming the people of Port Augusta were when I came here. This is the first time this has happened here."
He said the Port Augusta community had rallied behind him.
"This morning I saw Facebook and I saw hundreds of messages and comments supporting me," Singh said.
South Australian Attorney-General Vicki Chapman has described the footage as "disturbing" and "on the face of it, racist conduct".
"We are a state that has a very proud history of democracy. Our government is completely behind maintaining that and the right for people to stand for public office.
"I just want to say to other candidates in the local government elections, thank you for standing."
Port Augusta mayor Sam Johnson said he was shocked by the violence and racism in the video.
"Appalled, absolutely appalled, gutted, outrageous in today's society, what would possess anyone to do that? Clearly a lot of effort was put into that," Johnson said.
Johnson said the Indian community and the Sikh church contributed greatly to the Port Augusta community and economy.
"The experiences I've had with our Indian community and multicultural community, they are very giving and community-minded," he said.
"Sunny Singh is a shining example of exactly the type of migrant we want to welcome into our community, and not offend in this way. The offending post should be removed immediately," said the Member for Stuart, which includes Port Augusta, Dan van Holst Pellekaan.
Meanwhile, the trucking company pictured in the video, Moroney Trucking, has been suspended as a service provider, the report said.
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Zubeen Garg's drowning in Singapore highlights vessel operators' responsibility: legal experts
Singapore (PTI): The drowning of Indian singer-composer Zubeen Garg has brought the spotlight on rules and regulations that concern responsibilities of vessel operators when dealing with intoxicated passengers, according to a media report that cited legal experts.
A cultural icon in India’s northeastern region, 52-year-old Garg travelled to Singapore in September 2025 to perform at a live event. A day before his performance, he went on a yacht trip with a group of people. He drowned while swimming in the sea near Lazarus Island, which is a popular diving spot.
His death shook his home state Assam, where millions came out on the streets mourning. Later, police cases were registered against the organiser of the event, his manager and some others.
Nico Lee, managing director of the Triangle Legal law firm, told The Straits Times that Singapore has Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations under which there are provisions to debar drunk passengers.
The owner, agent or captain of the vessel must not allow persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs onboard if they are intoxicated to a point where they endanger safety of the vessel, its crew or any person in it.
“In terms of civil liability, it could be argued that a yacht captain is negligent, as he owes a prima facie duty of care to guests on board under general negligence principles,” Lee was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The singer and his entourage of about 15 individuals were partying on a chartered vessel, which they had boarded at Marina at Keppel Bay.
A death certificate issued by the Singapore General Hospital listed his cause of death as drowning.
An autopsy report suggested that Garg had 333 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in his system, which was four times the legal limit for driving in Singapore and is likely to have impacted his coordination.
Citing Garg’s case, Lee said the circumstances were serious, as the controller of the vessel knew that the guest was intoxicated. Also, he may not have understood or processed a safety briefing for all passengers.
“That combination makes reliance on an ordinary briefing inadequate. If intoxication reaches a level that endangers the safety of the vessel or persons on board, the person in charge should not permit boarding at all,” he said.
According to Lee, the vessel’s operators could also have assigned a crew member to directly supervise him or ensure that he received a one-to-one explanation when he was capable of understanding.
Part of the responsibility could be attributed to the guest if he chose to enter the water and ignore instructions or behave dangerously despite the yacht owner or charterer’s best efforts, Lee said.
Vanessa Sandhu from Clifford Law LLP told The Straits Times that a key question is whether the yacht captain or operator owed a “duty of care” to the passenger and, if so, whether a breach of that duty caused the death.
“A yacht captain and operator generally owe passengers a duty to take reasonable care for their safety while on board, including swimming or water activities. This may include providing safety equipment and issuing appropriate safety instructions,” the daily quoted Sandhu as saying.
“However, the standard of care is an objective one, based on what a reasonable captain or operator would have done in the circumstances. It is not an absolute obligation to prevent all harm,” she said.
During the coroner’s inquiry, the operators of the vessel had said that no one had forced the singer to consume alcohol or enter the water, and that the entire entourage was informed on the yacht about the necessity of wearing life jackets before going for a swim.
A coroner’s inquiry on March 25 ruled Garg’s death as accidental drowning. On April 1, the police said that investigations into the singer's death had concluded, with no evidence of foul play.
However, in Assam, where seven persons were arrested in connection with Garg’s case, and some of them charged with murder, the matter is being heard in the court. All the suspects have denied any wrongdoing.
