New York, USA - A Sikh man who was beaten, stomped and left unconscious outside a restaurant last year has filed a lawsuit against the eatery and the five men who were charged with attacking him.
Rajinder Singh Khalsa, 55, told reporters Tuesday he was unable to work for four months after the beating. He said that he has lost most of the vision in his left eye.
"My life changed. When I am walking on the street I am watching right and left and behind. Is anybody coming to beat me?" said Khalsa, who has lived in the United States since 1996.
Five men were arrested in August 2004 and indicted on charges of assault and harassment, and assault as a hate crime. They are scheduled to go on trial in October and each face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Attorney Amardeep Singh, the legal director of the Sikh Coalition, said the lawsuit alleges that the suspects had been drinking in the restaurant and that the business is being sued under laws that bar serving booze to people who are already intoxicated.
A telephone recording at the Villa Russo Restaurant said it was closed on Tuesdays; no one immediately responded to a message left seeking comment on the lawsuit.
More than 400 Sikhs were attacked nationwide after Sept. 11, 2001, Singh said. Reports showed they were being confused with Arabs and other Muslims. Sikhism is a separate religion.