Sikh youth wins case against US army, allowed to enroll with beard and turban

CHANDIGARH: A US federal court has allowed a Sikh student to enroll with its campus Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) unit with his beard, long hair and turban.

In 2013, Hofstra University student Iknoor Singh had been denied entry unless he got rid of all his articles of faith. Following this, the 19year-old had sued the US Army with the help of American Civil Liberties Union and United Sikhs last November.

ROTC is a college-based programme for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.

A Columbia court ruled on Saturday that the Army's refusal to allow Iknoor to keep his unshorn hair, beard and turban violated his rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was designed to protect religious expression and practice so long as it does not harm third parties.