British Sikh faces racial abuse at Polish club

A British Sikh was spat at, punched in the face and branded a "Muslim terrorist" as he tried to enter a Polish nightclub in Krakow last month, a media report said on Thursday.

Nav Sawhney, 25, travelled to Poland's Krakow city on November 27 for a weekend with a friend when he was subjected to a verbal and physical attack by the nightclub bouncer, the Evening Standard reported.

Sawhney along with friends decided to visit the club after reading positive reviews about it. But when the group arrived there, Sawhney's friends, who are all white, were allowed into the club while he was refused entry.

"The bouncer stopped me and said I was not allowed in. I asked why very calmly and after a few minutes passed, he was shouting at me and spitting at me and was very aggressive," Sawhney said.

"My friend came down the stairs (in the club) and asked why I was not allowed in. It was said it was the dress code. But my friend said we are dressed exactly the same."

"(The bouncer) pointed at my turban and said 'that hat, Muslim terrorist'. They were being really aggressive," the daily quoted him as saying.

The 25-year-old decided to shake hands with the bouncers when Sawhney said he was punched in the face with such force that it caused his turban to come off and fall to the ground.

"I am thick skinned but it was at that point when my turban came off and I was called a terrorist, I knew it was racially motivated."

Police arrived 30 minutes later, but told Sawhney and his friend to keep off the streets as it was unsafe.

A spokesperson for the club in Krakow said Sawhney was refused entry into the club, along with many Poles, because it was full and said they treat "everyone equally".

"Nav was not being offended, spat at or beaten. Nevertheless, having in mind your doubts, security guards who were on duty that night were suspended immediately from performing their duties until the situation is clarified by the police," the spokesperson added.

In a message on Sawhney's Facebook page, a spokesperson from Polish embassy in Britain said: "We are very sorry about what happened to you."