Wednesday, March 2 2005 10:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The controversial issue of Sikhs students wearing turbans to schools in France and the alleged mistreatment of a Sikh illegal immigrant figure in the Human Rights Report released by the US Department of State.

On the turban and related issues, the report says: on March 15, French Parliament passed a law banning the wearing of "conspicuous religious symbols" in public schools by employees and students. The law took effect in September.

By year's end, 39 Muslim girls and three Sikh boys had been expelled from the French public schools. On June 29, the European Commission on Human Rights ruled that the law did not violate the freedom of religion.

The French regulations provide for display of "discreet religious symbols" and grant considerable discretion to individual schools to interpret and implement the law. Turbans and bandannas can be allowed in schools if such items are worn as fashion accessories without religious significance.

About the ill-treatment meted out to an Indian asylum seeker, the report said, in April, Sukhwinder Singh alleged a police officer struck his head against the street, beat him in the police station and stole his money while apprehending him for illegally operating as a street vendor.

Singh further claimed that the officer responsible had a history of asking money from asylum seekers who sell goods without authorisation.

Singh filed a complaint with the Inspector General, which had not issued a report on the case by year's end, the report added.