Several legal advocacy groups have filed a complaint with the civil rights division of the US department of justice after a Sikh immigrant was forced to shave his beard in an Arizona detention facility. Surjit Singh, a 64-year-old Indian immigrant, was sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter after a fatal vehicle accident in Yuma, Arizona. Singh believes, in accordance with his Sikh faith, that he must wear a turban and refrain from cutting any of his hair, including facial hair, according to the complaint. However, the ADCRR requires prisoners to shave any facial hair before having their photo taken during the intake process to facilitate a clean picture for the ‘Mug Photo Interface Subsystem’. Singh’s faith requires him to maintain unshorn facial hair, and the ADCRR’s arbitrary policies should not violate his or anyone else’s religious rights in Arizona,” Cindy Nesbit, Sikh Coalition senior staff attorney, said in a statement.

Source: Hindustan Times May 30, 2021 10:41 UTC