Sikh Coalition to Hold Community Rally in Response to Assault of Darien Man

A community rally and press conference will take place Sept. 15 in Darien “to draw attention to the injustice of Inderjit Singh Mukker,” according to the Sikh Coalition.

The rally will be held at 11 a.m. on the public sidewalk near 7329 South Cass Ave. in Darien, where Mukker was assaulted.

• Read more on this story: Willowbrook Teenager Charged in Beating of Darien Man

A 17 year old from Willowbrook has been charged with with five counts of felony aggravated battery in connection with the Sept. 8 attack of Mukker, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“The local state’s attorney’s office announced on Friday that they are not pressing hate crime charges and in response hundreds are rallying to demand that the federal government take up Inderjit’s case,” according to a Sik Coalition statement

“The call for the Department of Justice to file hate crime charges is that we know that without recognition of the crime that was actually committed, the problem of hate in our nation fails to be adequately addressed,” according to the statement.

Mukker, the Sikh Coalition board chair, a reverend of Trinity United Church, the chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Sikh Coalition legal director are expected to attend the rally.

Darien police were called Tuesday to the incident at Cass and 69th. Mukker and the teenager reportedly got into an argument and pulled over on the side of the road. Prosecutors say the teenager got out of his car, and the two spoke before the teenager punched Mukker in the face and ran away.

The Sikh Coalition said in a statement that the attacker yelled “terrorist ... go back to your country,”

Mukker lost consciousness and was taken to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, where he was treated for a fractured cheekbone and a serious cut on his cheek.

Photo of Inderjit Singh Mukker courtesy of the Sikh Coalition.