Two Sikh taxi drivers said they thought they would be killed during an unprovoked assault outside Wolverhampton Railway Station, which police are treating as racially aggravated.
Satnam Singh and Jasbir Sangha were attacked by several men earlier this month. Members of the public intervened and helped stop the violence.Mr Sangha, 72, sustained two broken ribs and remains in significant pain. Mr Singh, 64, was kicked and punched and lost his turban during the assault, leaving him bruised and deeply distressed.
British Transport Police confirmed that a 17-year-old boy and two men, aged 19 and 25, were arrested and later released on bail.
The drivers said they had been waiting for fares outside the station when three men approached Mr Singh, using racist language and making demands. Mr Singh was pushed to the ground and Mr Sangha was attacked when he tried to intervene.
Mr Singh said losing his turban, which covers uncut hair and is one of the five articles of faith for initiated Sikhs, left him devastated. He said, “When I looked and saw I had no turban on my head, I felt as though I was dead.”
The men expressed gratitude to two women who stepped in and challenged the attackers. Mr Sangha said the support of bystanders helped bring the incident to an end.
Video footage of the attack, filmed by witnesses, has been viewed more than a million times on social media. Mr Sangha said, “When I saw the video it was so scary for me. It could have killed me.”
He added that his injuries still cause severe pain and the attack has left him fearful, despite his wish to return to work.
