Family of a Sikh priest who was ‘left for dead’ in an attack in Manchester in June has now appealed to the public to nab his attacker, media reports said.
The 62-year-old was left with life-changing injuries and has been in hospital since the attack on 23 June, reports added.
Greater Manchester Police released CCTV footage of the incident along with images of a man and a woman they want to interrogate in connection with the incident.
“Our loving and caring husband/father had his life tragically altered forever when a thug cowardly committed this heinous act, leaving him in a pool of blood with catastrophic permanent life-changing brain damage and walked away as if it was normal behaviour,” the victim’s family said in a statement.
“A devoted husband and father who has lived, worked and supported a community in a city he has loved for 37 years and now cannot even leave the hospital.”
According to the family, the priest didn’t say a single hateful or negative comment following the incident and advised to ‘practice kindness’.
The family said: “We have lost the life of the party, the light in amongst any darkness in our lives and the laughter and joy he brought home every day, has disappeared and left our hearts vacant,” they said.
“We will sadly never get the man back who left for work that day and thought he would walk home to enjoy the nice weather. We appeal to anyone who knows anything or knows the offender to come forward.”
On June 23, Police were called by the North West Ambulance Service to a report of a man found unconscious in the road on Tib Street in the evening. The victim suffered a serious brain injury and has not spoken a word since the attack.
Police said that he had walked the same route to and from work for 20 years.
Detectives said that he may have accidentally brushed a woman’s arm as he strolled through the city’s Northern Quarter.
CCTV inquiries revealed that the victim had been assaulted by an unknown male close to the junction with Hilton Street. The offender then fled the scene on foot, turning left onto Oldham Street.
A witness said that the man punched the Sikh priest straight in the face and then got him on the floor, and later walked off.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of Longsight CID, said: “We took the decision to release the CCTV footage with the family’s permission, simply to show the severity and mindlessness of this attack and why we need to make sure the offender is found and faces the consequences of his appalling actions.”
A 38-year-old man was arrested in connection with the attack. But later eliminated from inquiries.
People can contact police on 0161 856 6049 or www.gmp.police.uk. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
