Teen claiming ‘racial discrimination’ suffered nightmares after assault, court told
Youth testifies he has anxieties on public transport since the incident
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 09 April, 2014, 1:18pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 09 April, 2014, 1:18pm
Lo Wei [email protected]
Arjun Singh alleges a police officer ignored his complaint and detained him at the police station. Photo: Dickson Lee
A teenage boy who is suing a police officer for racial discrimination said he suffered nightmares after an assault which he alleges the officer ignored, the District Court heard today.
Arjun Singh, 15, said that after being grabbed and held by a Chinese woman in the Wan Chai MTR station on Jan 6, 2010, he suffered nightmares of being chased by the police and shot, and had anxieties when taking public transportation.
Singh, who was 11 years old at the time, bumped into the woman, Chan Yuet-lai, when going past her on the escalator. He claims she grabbed him and refused to let him go. Both called the police accusing the other of assault.
Singh, of Indian descent, alleged that police officer Hung Kai-kam ignored his complaint and detained him for five-and-a-half hours at the police station.
He said Hung’s immediate preference of Chan’s version of the incident over his was based on his race. Singh said the officer acted “insensitively” in arranging a Punjabi interpreter for him at the police station when he told him he did not need one.
The teenager believes Hung discriminated against him because of his “aggressive and dismissive” demeanour and his actions.
“[He was] arresting me without sufficient investigation and not investigating madam Chan,” he said today on the third day of the hearing.
He is suing Hung and the government for breaching the Racial Discrimination Ordinance. He wants an apology and Hung’s conduct to be investigated. He is also seeking damages for unlawful arrest.
The hearing continues.
