GURDASPUR, October 25 — The family of Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old truck driver from Punjab’s Gurdaspur district arrested in the United States after a fatal crash in California, has denied allegations that he was under the influence of drugs while driving.
Jashanpreet was involved in an eight-vehicle pile-up in Ontario, California, that killed three persons and injured four. He faces charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs.
His parents, Ravinder Singh and Jasveer Kaur, said their son was a baptised Sikh and deeply religious. “He regularly participated in nagar kirtans and would often dress as one of the Panj Pyaras. He was a religious boy, far away from drugs,” said Ravinder Singh, who drives a local school bus for a living.
The family appealed to the Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to raise the issue with US authorities. “We request the SGPC to speak to the Indian Consulate in California. Our son is a devout Sikh. We are hopeful for justice,” said Jasveer Kaur.
