A 68-year-old man named Amrik Bajwa from Slough in Berkshire, England has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined GBP 240 for posting an offensive video on social media that targeted the Dalit community. Bajwa was charged via postal requisition on March 2 after being arrested on July 22 last year, a few days after his post. He pleaded guilty to one count of sending an offensive message on a public communication network. The video was posted on TikTok on July 19 last year and the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA) complained about it, characterising it as hate speech targeted at Dalit communities.
The ACDA is a voluntary human rights organisation campaigning against caste-based discrimination in the UK. They said the conviction did not specifically refer to ‘caste’ because caste is not yet a protected characteristic in law. However, the Crime Prosecution Service (CPS) shared at the hearing the derogatory words ‘choora’ and ‘chaamar’ that Mr Bajwa used. The ACDA said the conviction was the result of several community organisations working together. The Thames Valley Police thanked all the key witnesses who helped with the investigation into the case.
Sergeant Andrew Grant, the investigating officer on the case from the Slough police station said: “I am pleased with the sentence given, which provides a clear message that Thames Valley Police will not tolerate behaviour like that of Amrik Bajwa. As a force, we are committed to protecting our communities and ensuring that criminal actions which have the potential to undermine community cohesion are dealt with robustly.”
The 18 weeks sentence in jail reflects the severity of the harm Amrik Bajwa’s video caused the Dalit community.
