US highway crash: Kin of truck driver deny intoxication claim, say he’s Amritdhari Sikh

He is scheduled for arraignment Friday, the District Attorney’s office said, adding he does not yet have a lawyer. The local media had earlier reported toxicology tests confirmed the “impairment”.

Back home in Gurdaspur, Jashanpreet’s father Ravinder Singh said his son never consumed drugs or any intoxicant.   “He is an Amritdhari Gursikh, someone who has lived by the principles of Sikhism his entire life. He has never consumed drugs — he hasn’t even been near them. These accusations are completely unfounded,” Ravinder, a school bus driver, said.

Speaking to the media, he termed the accident “very unfortunate and tragic”, and said “it was not done intentionally”.

“We mourn the lives lost, but our son should not be blamed for doing drugs… We worked hard to raise him but now there is darkness all around,” said the father, adding his son used to recite ‘Gurbani’ (religious verses) daily. “He was very disciplined and went to the US three years ago in search of a better future.”

He urged the Central government to intervene in the matter and requested the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to support his son.

–with PTI inputs

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