Honour for falsely accused Cranford detective
Honour for falsely accused Cranford detective - Hounslow Chronicle
A CRANFORD detective who was falsely accused of sending racist hate mail to himself and colleagues has been honoured by the country's Sikh community.
Gurpal Virdi was awarded by the group Sikhs In England for 'making a stand for justice'.
The 51-year-old was presented with his certificate last week by actress Cleo Rocos and 99-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh.
He was praised for showing 'strong leadership or skills in defending faith-based values and encouraging positive relationships between people from diverse backgrounds' in the citation.
DS Virdi, who joined the police in 1982, said he had never walked away from injustice and had participated in several inquiries to help fellow members of the force nationally.
"I was very honoured to receive the award from the Sikhs in England, who have recognised the work I do for many behind the scenes no matter what their background. To receive the Kirpan (a symbol of justice) from Fauja Singh was just as important."
DS Virdi, who lives in Cranford and works for the Met Police, won a £240,000 payout from his bosses in 2000 after being cleared of sending racist hate mail to himself and fellow black and Asian officers at Hanwell Police Station.
The treasurer of the Met Police Sikh Association was awarded a further £70,000 in 2008 after winning an employment tribunal over alleged victimisation by his superiors, only to be stripped of that money on appeal.
Honour for falsely accused Cranford detective - Hounslow Chronicle
A CRANFORD detective who was falsely accused of sending racist hate mail to himself and colleagues has been honoured by the country's Sikh community.
Gurpal Virdi was awarded by the group Sikhs In England for 'making a stand for justice'.
The 51-year-old was presented with his certificate last week by actress Cleo Rocos and 99-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh.
He was praised for showing 'strong leadership or skills in defending faith-based values and encouraging positive relationships between people from diverse backgrounds' in the citation.
DS Virdi, who joined the police in 1982, said he had never walked away from injustice and had participated in several inquiries to help fellow members of the force nationally.
"I was very honoured to receive the award from the Sikhs in England, who have recognised the work I do for many behind the scenes no matter what their background. To receive the Kirpan (a symbol of justice) from Fauja Singh was just as important."
DS Virdi, who lives in Cranford and works for the Met Police, won a £240,000 payout from his bosses in 2000 after being cleared of sending racist hate mail to himself and fellow black and Asian officers at Hanwell Police Station.
The treasurer of the Met Police Sikh Association was awarded a further £70,000 in 2008 after winning an employment tribunal over alleged victimisation by his superiors, only to be stripped of that money on appeal.
