Sikh breaks religious protocol to help injured child

A young Sikh did not hesitate to break religious protocol by removing his turban to help an injured child bleeding profusely after an accident in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland, media reports said on Saturday.

Harman Singh, 22, did not think twice before removing his turban to help the five-year-old who was hit by a car on way to school, New Zealand Herald reported.

"I wasn't thinking about the turban. I was thinking about the accident and I just thought, 'He needs something on his head because he's bleeding.' That's my job -- to help," the daily quoted him as saying.

Gagan Dhillon was on his way to work when the accident happened. He too stopped to help.

"Being a Sikh myself, I know what type of respect the turban has. People just don't take it off - people die over it. I saw him (Singh) with no head covering and thought, 'That's strange'. But then I saw one hand was underneath the boy's head supporting it and his siropao (turban) was stopping the bleeding," he said.

Although removing the turban is rare, Singh said the religious rules did not restrict such an action in an emergency, stuff.co.nz reported.

Dhillon posted a photo of Singh and other people helping the injured child on Facebook and it has gone viral since then.

The child is now in stable condition and police have launched an investigation into the accident.