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Sikh wins religious harassment case against employer: Report
PTI
Last Updated IST

Mojhinder Bal took to court Jobcentre Plus after his woman colleague, Sue Ramjan-Coley, had suggested in 2007 that his co-worker Amid Uddin land a remote-controlled helicopter on "on Mo's turban -- he's got a flat surface".

Now, three years on, the Birmingham tribunal has ruled against the Jobcentre, saying Sue's comments were "inherently racist", though she denied suggesting the helicopter be landed on the claimant's turban, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

However, the judge at the tribunal threw out several other claims of race and religious discrimination, indirect race and religious discrimination, victimisation and failure of the Jobcentre to properly investigate the grievance.

Bal had claimed the Jobcentre's investigation left him feeling "victimised and harassed", but the tribunal concluded it's conducted reasonably although they were "surprised" that the chopper incident was not deemed to be harassment.

Bal also accused Sue of being "degrading", "offensive" and "intimidating" after she asked him if he slept with his turban on and if he took it off in the shower but the tribunal concluded that "no such query was made", the report said.

The court also found that other discussions between Bal and Sue about his turban were "positive enquiries about the wearing of a turban and were not derogatory, intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive in their nature".Bal is now set for a pay-out at a remedy hearing in February next year.

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(Published 03 December 2010, 16:17 IST)