Calderdale Council, a small local authority in West Yorkshire, has been accused of committing Religiously Aggravated Hate Crimes against a Sikh family from Calderdale, resulting in the family suffering religious discrimination, homelessness, significant hardship, and a breach of their human rights.

The family were targeted by Calderdale Council due to the father being a Social Justice and Human Rights advocate, and an anti-corruption campaigner, whose campaigns exposed serious wrongdoings at Calderdale Council and other public organisations.

The council fabricated allegations against the family which resulted in their children being taken into Foster Care, allegations which were fully refuted and found to have no merit. When the family made formal complaints about this behaviour, Calderdale Council further discriminated against the family and used various forms of oppression, intimidation, and mental torture against the family to try coerce them into stopping exposing the local authority.

The oppressive behaviour has included banning the father, an Amritdhari, from seeing his children simply because he wears a kirpan. When challenged in legal proceedings about this discrimination, Calderdale Council quietly backed down and attempted to conceal its wrong doings.

It did this by firstly making false accusations against Mr Singh to the police, which the police rejected when the council failed to produce the evidence of its allegations. Secondly, it attempted to threaten Mr Singh with imprisonment for contempt of court when he revealed details of this injustice. This too was rejected by the courts after it was clear that Mr Singh had done nothing wrong.

Most recently, Calderdale Council has attempted to seek court orders which aim to silence Mr Singh by trying to secure a “Gagging Order” which would keep details of his discrimination claim “confidential”, which would have the effect of unlawfully interfering with the Human Rights of Mr Singh and his family.

Sikh Justice has been working with this family to get justice and expose the shocking levels of state oppression and injustice inflicted upon those who expose the wrongdoings of local and national government and public authorities.

Sikh Justice believes in the concept of acting in the good of all, and it is clear that Calderdale Council must be held to account for its behaviour to stop them doing the same to other families.

If you would like to help us fight this injustice please follow our Instagram page – https://www.instagram.com/sikhjusticeuk/ for updates and new on the upcoming protests to help this family get justice, and to hold Calderdale Council to account.