WATCH: Video showing racial abuse against Indian man in Fremont Taco Bell goes viral online

On August 21, an alleged hate crime targeting an Indian man was recorded at a Taco Bell in Fremont, California.

Krishnan Jayaraman, the victim of the abuse, began recording a man, identified as Punjabi-American Tejinder Singh, who was subjecting him to racially charged verbal abuse. It is implied that the onslaught began after Jayaraman ordered a bean burrito, a popular Taco Bell item used as a substitute for meat-based meals.

Trigger Warning: Video contains abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.

In response, the man began swearing at Jayaraman, saying that he would eat beef in front of the victim. He also implied that Jayaraman wanted to eat cow feces instead. He said:

“F*cking nasty. F*cking disgusting human beings, bro. You’re disgusting, dog. Seriously. We’re tired. Nobody wants to f*cking see you ordering bean burritos.”

He continued:

“You look nasty. Don’t come out in public like this again. Sincerely, no one comes in public like this, dirty Hindu.”

When placing his order, the suspect pointedly requested beef-based meals from the Taco bell employees. He said:

“Everything beef, everything beef!”

Although Jayaraman did not respond, the man continued to racially abuse him even after placing the order. He proceeded to insult Jayaraman for the way he dressed. He said:

“Dirty a*s Hindu. Walking around with your f*cking toes out. B*tch, this ain’t India! You f*cked India up, and now you’re f*cking America up.”

The man continued to pace back and forth between the counter, the fountain-drink machine, and a table behind Jayaraman, even though Jayaraman did not respond to the heckling.

He said:

“Nobody likes you. This is why you get robbed. This is why you people get robbed on the daily. This is why you motherf*ckers are victims.”

He continued:

“You come out in public like this. This is why you’re a joke. Indian people are a joke. What are you even? F**king jungle-y a**.”

The rant ended after 8 minutes, when the authorities reached Taco Bell. The Fremont Police Department is investigating the incident.

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The investigation into the Taco Bell racism incident

In an interview with ABC San Francisco, Jayaraman speculated that Singh himself may have been of South Asian descent, as he knew certain Punjabi words and displayed a tattoo of a Sikh symbol on his arm.

Seeing these indications, as well as the fact that the tattoo of the Sikh symbol was adorned with images of assault rifles, Jayaraman speculated that the suspect behind the Taco Bell incident may have been a sympathizer of the Khalistan movement, a Sikh radical group that aims to create an independent nation carved out of the North Indian state of Punjab.

In an official statement, the Fremont Police Department wrote that they are actively investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Authorities said:

"We take hate incidents and hate crimes seriously, and understand the significant impact they have on our community. These incidents are despicable."

He continued:

"We are here to protect all community members, regardless of their gender, race, nationality, religion, and other differences. Fremont is one of the nation's most diverse communities, and we are thankful for the contributions of community members from different cultures and backgrounds."

Tejinder Singh has been charged in relation to the Taco Bell incident with hate crimes in violation of civil rights.