'Return Jashanpreet Singh's turban': Row over Indian truck driver, accused of vehicular manslaughter, appearing bareheaded in US court

21-year-old truck driver Jashanpreet Singh's recent appearance in the court on charges of vehicular manslaughter under the influence in California shocked his family members and the Sikh community as Singh was seen without a turban.

A petition has now been started demanding the return of his turban immediately, as snatching his turban is a violation of his Sikh identity. Jashanpreet pleaded not guilty to all the charges -- three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and one count of driving under the influence of a drug. His family in India said he's a baptized Sikh and hence does not do drugs. Jashanpreet is now in jail and will appear in court next on November 4.

Court documents revealed that he would need a Punjabi interpreter in his next court appearance. The administration called Jashanpreet Singh an illegal alien though Singh had Employment Authorization Documents valid up to 2030 and a commercial driver's license to operate the truck he was driving.

Calling his treatment in the US disrespectful to the Sikhs, many social media users asked whether he would still remain an asylum seeker in the US despite the treatment he's receiving there.

The Change.org petition demanding the return of Jashanpreet's turban said Singh had been wrongfully accused by media outlets of drug use, tarnishing his reputation. The petition said that there has been no concrete evidence supporting his drug use but that made the headlines while he is an 'Amritdhari Sikh'. "The presumption of innocence until proven guilty, a foundational principle of justice, has been blatantly disregarded.

In this climate of misinformation and prejudice, Jashanpreet has also been stripped of his turban—a deeply significant symbol of his faith and identity. This act is not only an infringement on his personal beliefs but an assault on our entire community's cultural and religious values," the petition said.

"We are calling upon the judicial system to reconsider Jashanpreet's case with fairness and empathy, taking into account his clean history and the lack of evidence against him. The sentence he received is disproportionate and does not reflect the reality of his situation. We urge the authorities to return Jashanpreet’s turban to him immediately, respecting his rights and dignity as a Sikh," it said.