Approximately 20 to 30 members of a neo-Nazi group allegedly assaulted an immigrant belonging to the Sikh community from India. The incident occurred on Sunday, and the victim, Racchhpa, was hospitalized in Santarém, where he was still being treated by health professionals as of Thursday.
The members of the group reportedly insulted and beat the 29-year-old man.
“I was passing by the cafeteria. There was a person there who started talking about me. He said: ‘Kiss here.’ I thought he was joking with me,” Racchhpa recalled in statements to the broadcaster.
According to Racchhpa, the attackers asked him if he saw what was written on a shirt they were wearing. When he inquired about it, one of the attackers replied, “It says 1143. It means you should leave here. Go back to your country. You can’t stay here. This is my home. And that’s how it was.”
The moment Racchhpa began to be assaulted was reportedly captured by CCTV at the location, which authorities are now using to identify the suspects.
Initially, Racchhpa, who has been living in Portugal for six years, was allegedly headbutted. “He came up to me and headbutted me. He grabbed my shirt and I grabbed his. He started hitting me on the back, I fell. The rest – I’m not sure – but there were 20 or 30 people beating me,” he stated.
Beyond being physically attacked, Racchhpa was also robbed. He described the incident to the National Republican Guard.
Currently, his injuries are considered minor. The channel further explains that the group stopped at the station while they were traveling from Lisbon to Porto.
“Before, I didn’t know this was a racist group. To me, it is racist. What happened to me is racism,” Racchhpa remarked, referring to the group 1143.
