By Amneet Kaur | Birmingham Live |
A Sikh said he was made to “feel like a criminal” after claiming he was barred from a court where he was called for jury service for wearing a five-inch sword which is central to his faith. Jatinder Singh said a Birmingham Crown Court security officer refused to allow him back inside after a lunch break because his kirpan was too big.
He said a different guard had let him in without an issue the same morning, Monday, October 23, and he was left feeling he had “done something wrong” as other officials and visitors passed in and out with no problem. The kirpan is an article of faith that initiated Sikhs are supposed to wear at all times.
The 38-year-old, from Smethwick, is a former president of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick and former secretary general of the Sikh Council (UK). He said he had not been required to return for jury duty since the incident. “I felt like I had done something wrong like I was a criminal,” he said.
“The security guard checking me saw I was wearing a kirpan. I lifted my jumper and he said: ‘That’s too big, you can’t go in. If you remove it you can collect it when you’re about to leave.’
“I told him it was within the guidelines and I was allowed through earlier that morning. Why was one person following one policy and one wasn’t?”
Mr Singh said he was then sent to the court ushers but claimed they also did not know how to proceed. He said: “They kept me waiting and they talked about taking me off jury duty.
“At that point, I said I didn’t want to do it anymore because I was made to stand there as if I’d done something wrong. Everyone else was allowed to go in and sit down – and I was there because I’d been called in for jury service.
“I met a manager who was very apologetic about what happened but his answers weren’t satisfying either. The rules should be the same across the board. The training needs to be consistent.
“It’s about understanding our identity. Even though we’ve been here for such a long time we are still struggling with the kirpan and it shouldn’t be an issue, whether it’s the dastaar (head covering) or any other article of faith.”
Read the full story here.
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