HATE CRIME: 71-year-old US Sikh assaulted, second in week

A 71-year-old Sikh man was brutally assaulted and spit at by two unidentified men in California, the second attack on a community member in about a week that has raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country.

Disturbing footage from a surveillance camera shows Sahib Singh Natt walking alone on the side of a road early morning on August 6 in Manteca, California when two men, wearing hoodies, walking from the opposite direction approach him.

Natt stops on seeing the men and the two men are seen talking to him. Singh then walks past them but they continue to follow and talk with him.

After a brief argument, one of the men, who is wearing a black hoodie, suddenly kicks Natt in the stomach and the elderly man falls down on the road, with his turban coming off.

He tries to get up and defend himself but the man again kicks him in the stomach. Natt falls on the road as the man who attacked him comes close to him and appears to touch his face and spit on him. They then walk away as Natt is lying on the road.

A few seconds later the man in the black hoodie runs back and viciously kicks Natt three times near his head as he lay on the street. He then starts leaving again, pauses, turns around, and then spits at Natt.

This is the second attack on a Sikh man in about a week in California. On July 31, 50-year old Surjit Malhi was attacked while putting up campaign signs in support of incumbent Republican Congressman Jeff Denham and other local Republican candidates.