'Distressing images...': Row erupts after Punjabi driver involved in fatal crash in US brought to courtroom without turban

A Punjabi truck driver named Jashanpreet Singh appeared in a US court after being arrested for the fatal crash involving a semitruck and an SUV on the 10 Freeway in California's Ontario on Oct 21. A row erupted after his appearance as he was brought to the courtroom without his turban. Indian politician Sukhbir Singh Badal, president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) demanded that his turban be returned. An online petition alleged that the accused bareheaded court appearance is “violation of Sikh faith.” It urged authorities to "restore his religious rights and ensure a fair trial."

As per authorities, the 21-year-old truck driver slammed into the back of an SUV and then plowed into multiple other vehicles in the same lane, leading to death of three people. Dashcam footage appears to show that the driver did not apply breaks on the freeway. At least four were also injured in the accident. Singh has also been accused of been under the effect of drugs. However, his family in India said he is a baptised Sikh and does not consume drugs.

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Jashanpreet Singh entered US illegally?

According to multiple reports, Jashanpreet Singh is a resident of Yuba City in United States' Northern California. However, it is still not clear whether he is a US citizen or illegally migrated into the country. According to CHP officer Rodrigo Jimenez, the 21-year-old driver was hospitalised after the crash, where medical staff and officers determined he was under the influence of drugs. Singh reportedly failed to brake before colliding with slow-moving traffic, killing three people, KTLA reported.

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Fox News reporter Bill Melugin claimed—citing ICE sources—that Singh is an “Indian illegal alien” who was caught and released at the California border in March 2022 under the Biden administration. He said that Singh was let into the country under the Biden administration’s ‘alternatives to detention’ policy, pending an immigration hearing.

Read More | Indian minister wants Centre's intervention in Harjinder Singh's case after US pauses foreign truck driver visas

Notably, after the Florida Turnpike involving another Sikh truck driver, the US had stopped issuing visas for truck drivers. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration has paused all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers."The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers," he had added.