Vishal Jood was held for targeted attacks on Sikhs, say Australian cops

JALANDHAR: Even as those protesting in Haryana in support of Vishal Jood, arrested in Australia over two months ago, are claiming that he is in an Australian jail for “saving the Indian flag from Khalistanis”, a statement issued by New South Wales (NSW) police on June 16 had said he had been arrested for a series of attacks in which baseball bats and sticks were used.
These attacks were on Sikhs and these were suspected to be hate crimes. In the last few days #JusticeForVishal-Jood has been run on Twitter.
However, a statement issued by NSW police just after his arrest in the morning of June 16, revealed that he was accused of involvement in three cases of attacks on Sikhs there, including attack on a car with Sikh youths inside in the night of February 28 last, which had hit headlines in Australia. The NSW police said he was charged with “three counts of affray, three counts of armed with intent commit indictable offence, two counts of destroy or damage property and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of other (s).” Jood, 24, was refused bail.
NSW police had said officers were investigating a number of incidents in Harris Park since September last. The crimes traced to Jood included assault on a man walking along Brisbane Street by a group of up to five men about 8.30pm on September 16, 2020. The victim was allegedly struck several times in the head with a baseball bat and then kicked when on the ground. Second case was of attack on a man driving a black 2015 Range Rover along Marion Street allegedly by a group of up to five men holding sticks and other weapons In the evening of February 14.
Mentioning the third crime, in which Jood was involved, NSW police said, “About 10.15pm on February 28, a group of people travelling in a vehicle on Kendall Street was allegedly attacked by up to 10 men. The vehicle sustained serious damage”. This incident was caught on CCTV camera and attracted huge attention as it happened when bitterness between pro and antifarm groups had already spilled overseas and a few incidents took place in Australia, New Zealand and Canada displaying this tension. The car with Sikh youths inside was attacked by a group of persons carrying baseballs bats and rods and all its windows were badly smashed. The group had participated in anti-farm-laws protests.