Go back to India: Cab driver becomes latest victim of Ireland racist attack

Another Indian-origin man has reportedly been assaulted in Ireland, this time in Ballymun, a suburb of Dublin. Singh was reportedly hit on the head with a bottle in an unprovoked attack, after which the attackers shouted "go back to your own country". The assault comes just days after a 40-year-old Indian man was beaten and stripped by a teenage gang in Tallaght, and a 32-year-old Indian-origin entrepreneur was brutally attacked by teenagers in a separate incident in Dublin.

Lakhvir Singh, a cab driver, said he had picked up two men in the northside area, about 20 or 21 years old, and drove them to Poppintree.

Upon arriving at their destination, the two men opened the vehicle's door and attacked him, striking him twice in the head with a bottle, Dublin-based news outlet Dublin Live reported.

Singh caught two men, but they overpowered him.

Now, shaken from the attack, Singh is "very scared" to go back to work.

Singh has been in Ireland for over 23 years.

Singh, who has been driving a cab for over 10 years now, was taken to Beaumont Hospital for treatment following the assault while his car was covered in blood, the news outlet reported.

The father of two, originally from India, told Dublin Live that the attackers shouted "go back to your own country" as they ran away after the unprovoked attack.

The cab driver tried to knock on some nearby doors to ask for help but no one came to his aid and he then dialled 999 – Gardai (the state police force of Ireland) and emergency services, Dublin Live reported on Sunday.

SCARED TO GO BACK TO WORK, SAYS INDIAN-ORIGIN MAN

Singh said now he is "very scared" to go back to work after the attack.

Though he didn't suffer any serious injuries, he feels it will be "very difficult" to go back to working as a cab driver.

"In 10 years, I've never seen anything like this happen," he was quoted as saying by Dublin Live.

"I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he added.

IRELAND POLICE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION

Ireland Police spokesperson confirmed that they were investigating the attack.

"Gardai are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11.45 pm on Friday. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by the news-outlet.

Earlier on July 19, an Indian man in his 40s was assaulted and stripped by a group of youngsters in Dublin after he was falsely accused of behaving inappropriately around children. Police were treating the incident as an apparent hate crime.

The incident happened when the Indian national was set upon by a group of young men in the suburb of Tallaght and thrashed him. The attackers removed his trousers before passers-by rescued him. The man was left bleeding from multiple wounds on his face, arms and legs.

WITNESS CLAIMS MULTIPLE ATTACKS TOOK PLACE

Jennifer Murray, the Irish woman who came to the aid of the 40-year-old man, recounted the brutal assault and noted that it wasn't the first racially motivated incident to occur in the area in recent days.

"At least four Indian men and another man have been facially stabbed by this gang of teenagers in the last four days in Tallaght. How many of you knew that or saw it on the news? (sic)" Murray said in a video posted on July 20. She said that the man had to undergo a brain scan and was left "completely scared for life".

In a separate attack, a 32-year-old Indian-origin man, Santosh Yadav, on July 27, suffered a fractured cheekbone and multiple injuries after being assaulted by six teenagers near his Dublin apartment.

He also claimed that racist attacks on Indians are increasing across Dublin.

INDIAN EMBASSY IN DUBLIN ISSUED ADVISORY TO AVOID DESERTED PLACES

The latest attack came on the same day when the Embassy of India in Dublin issued an urgent safety advisory, asking all Indian citizens in the country to avoid going to deserted places and exercise heightened caution.

"There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently. The Embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard," the embassy said in the advisory.

"At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours," it added.

The Embassy of India also issued an emergency contact number for help. Indian citizens can reach out via phone on 08994 23734 or email at cons.dublin@mea.gov.in.

- Ends