London: A Sikh policeman has won 9,000 pounds compensation for racial discrimination after British police rejected his 12 applications for transfer into its ranks.

Sangram Singh Bhacker, 41, a resident of Fallowfield, South Manchester, had tried to join the Greater Manchester Police since 1990 to be with his family and his ailing mother, who died last year.

Sangram Singh Bhacker, currently working for the British Transport police, has served with five other forces in England and has sixteen years service.

Val Cook, who chaired the employment tribunal in Manchester, awarded 5,000 pounds for "injury to feelings" and 4,000 pounds in "aggravated damages" after ruling that the force had attacked the policeman's honesty and integrity.

She noted that the force appeared to be deliberately evasive in its responses to questions about a Race Relations Act questionnaire and that Singh-Bhacker had yet to be offered an apology.

"We regularly accept transfers of officers from other forces if they meet the rigorous standards we require," a spokesman of Greater Manchester Police said, adding these officers are drawn from many different communities, including the Asian community.

Source : PTI