Indian-origin man sentenced to 18 months in UK for castiest remarks in TikTok video

A 68-year-old man of Indian origin, Amrik Bajwa, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and has been fined GBP 240 for posting an offensive video on TikTok targeting the Dalit community. The sentencing took place in a UK court, as per PTI.

Bajwa pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message using a public communication network. The police arrested him a few days after his post, and he was charged via postal requisition on March 2 this year.

The video caused offense, and several organisations, including the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA), complained about it. A spokesperson for the ACDA said, "The 18 weeks sentence in jail reflects the severity of the harm Amrik Bajwa's video caused the Dalit community."

The Thames Valley Police thanked the significant witnesses who assisted in the force's 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 behavior 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 ACDA claimed that the cooperation of numerous community organisations led to the conviction. They also noted that the conviction did not specifically refer to caste, as 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 Bajwa used. A spokesperson for the ACDA said, "The video that Amrik Singh Bajwa posted on TikTok in 2022 was highly toxic and casteist in content."

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