CHANDIGARH: The 28-year-old Indian-origin truck driver, Harjinder Singh, who was allegedly accused of making an illegal U-turn in Florida, killing three Americans, was denied bond on Saturday. This means that he will remain in custody as the legal process continues.
The decision by the US Government to freeze work visas for foreign commercial truck drivers following the fatal accident involving Singh might backfire as there are 1.50 lakh Punjabi truck drivers across the US, and licenses of 2,500 of them have already been suspended since April this year.
An online petition has been filed in Singh's support, which has more than two million signatures. Politicians from Punjab have urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up this issue with the authorities in the US.
Singh, who hails from Rataul village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, migrated to the US in 2018 via Mexico through the 'donkey route' and currently holds political asylum status. He was arrested six days after the accident near his California home by Florida police and is now lodged in the St Lucie County Jail in Florida.
He faces vehicular homicide charges with a potential 50-year sentence. His next court hearing is on August 27.
Back in his native village, Tejinder Singh, brother of Harjinder, said that his brother made a serious mistake but it was not a deliberate act or intentional crime. He added that Harjinder should face the law for his mistake but not be treated as if he intended to kill. "We are sorry for the three deaths in the accident," Tejinder said.
Bathinda MP and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the issue of freeze on work visas of foreign truck drivers with the US government. "Punjabi and Sikh drivers make up 20 per cent of the US trucking industry with around 1.5 lakh Sikh drivers engaging in trucking in the US. Any mass-level action against them would have a detrimental effect on trucking families and would be discriminatory in nature considering the fact that Punjabis have built and sustained trucking logistics and trucking networks over decades," she said.
She added that there was an apprehension that several Punjabis who were in the trucking industry might be forced to leave the US. She also urged the minister to ensure counsellor access to Harjinder Singh so that his case could be pleaded appropriately.
Punjab Industries and Power Minister Sanjeev Arora wrote a letter addressed to S Jaishankar, urging him to take up the matter with the US government through the Indian Embassy in Washington, stating that the decision could impact around 1.5 lakh Punjabi drivers who travel there on work visas. He said that it was unjust to penalise the entire Punjabi community over a single incident.
As per the North American Punjabi Trucking Association (NAPTA), out of the 150,000-strong trucking community of California, around 55 per cent of the drivers are hailing from Punjab. They fill in the shortage of local American drivers across California, Florida, Texas, Indiana, and New Jersey.
An online petition titled "Plea for Fair Sentencing: Commutation Request for a 28-Year-Old Punjabi Man Involved in a Fatal Truck Accident" on Change.org under the group name Collective Punjabi Youth to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis demanding Singh's release is signed by more than 2 million people. It has sparked a controversy as it has gained significant traction.
The petition stated that Singh has no history of criminal behaviour and did not act with criminal intent. It requests for a reduced sentence, the possibility of parole after a shorter term and consideration of alternatives like community service or restorative justice.
A counter petition has also been filed by Hugh Mann and has called for the deportation of those supporting commutation in Singh’s case. "These signatories not only undermine the legal system but also pose a potential threat to public safety by advocating leniency for someone whose actions led to irreversible consequences. It's crucial that our country sends a clear message: we will not tolerate such recklessness, nor will we shelter those who support it," the petition stated.