NEW YORK (TIP): The Consulate General of India in New York has condemned the assault on an elderly Sikh man here, terming it as “deeply disturbing”, and said they were in touch with the police who are investigating this heinous hate crime. Nirmal Singh, believed to be in his 70s, was reportedly punched in the unprovoked assault on Sunday, April 3  morning in Richmond Hill in Queens.

Images shared on social media showed Singh with bloodied turban, face and clothes, which has shocked the Indian community. The Consulate tweeted on Monday, April 4  that it is “deeply disturbed” by the incident.

“We condemn the violent attack and are in touch” with the New York Police Department and local authorities who are investigating the matter. We are also in touch with local community organizations to ensure the well-being of the victim,” the Indian Consulate General said in a tweet on Monday.

New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said that NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig is investigating the case. “Together in every community, we denounce violence in our city—and the person(s) responsible will be apprehended,” Sewell said.

The police have asked anyone with information about the attack to call the department.

A report in Spectrum News NY1 said that Singh was allegedly repeatedly punched on the face by an unknown attacker around 6.45 am on Sunday. According to Singh’s translator Harpreet Singh Toor, the attacker “approached” Singh from behind and fled the scene, the report said.

The news report added that Singh is a “tourist visiting from India” and he was able to walk back after the assault to the Sikh Cultural Center, where he has been staying since he arrived in New York.

Singh was transported to a local hospital where he had been receiving treatment, the report said. Community-based civil and human rights organization, The Sikh Coalition, said that Singh had been retained with the group to provide him with free legal aid. The organization said it is currently in touch with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force. The task force has “confirmed that they are investigating the assault” as a “hate crime”, The Sikh Coalition said, adding that it had also provided law enforcement video footage of the attack to help them in their investigation.