Sikh boy beaten in US school: Sushma Swaraj seeks report from Indian embassy

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has asked the Indian Embassy in the US for a report on the alleged beating of a Sikh boy in the Washington State.

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday asked the Indian embassy in the United States to look into an incident where a Sikh boy was allegedly beaten. 

According to media reports, a 14-year-old boy of Indian origin was beaten by his classmate in Washington. The boy's family has alleged that it was a hate crime and that the boy was targeted for being of Indian origin. A video of the incident was also posted on Snapchat and the consequent outrage has led Swaraj to seek a report from the Indian embassy. 

I have seen news reports about the beating of a Sikh boy in US. I have asked @IndianEmbassyUS to send me a report on the incident.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 4, 2017

Even as local authorities investigate the incident, school officials have reportedly denied any link to the boy's origin as a reason for the attack. Instead, it is learnt that they have blamed a previous classroom dispute.

The boy's father - who has refused to be identified - however told a news channel that his son had never interacted with the attacker. "I am feeling so, so bad because this happened with my son," he said. "He never interacted with this guy. He did not know his name, I don't want to see this happen again with my son or anyone else. I don't want to see this."

Hate crimes in the US have increased in recent months - especially in the wake of attacks claimed by groups like ISIS. The Sikh community has been especially vulnerable and were also targeted in the months after the September 11 attack.