Boston: The US Justice Department has sued the state of California for violating the right of a Sikh prisoner to practise his religion and punishing him for keeping a beard.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday against the state of California, Governor Jerry Brown and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Sukhjinder Basra is being kept at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo for a drug offence. Earlier, a lawsuit had been filed on behalf of Basra, who was subjected to punishment for maintaining an "unshorn beard in accordance with the dictates of his religion".
By requiring Basra to cut his beard, California "compels him to violate his religious beliefs in contravention of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalised Persons Act (RLUIPA)," the Justice Department said.
The Justice Department lawsuit follows an investigation conducted by it, which "revealed that California's inmate grooming policy substantially burdens the rights of an inmate to practise his Sikh faith," it said.
By filing the complaint, the Department seeks to resolve its investigation and participate in the lawsuit filed on behalf of Basra, it said.
"The freedom to practice one's faith in peace is among our most cherished rights. RLUIPA has proven to be a powerful tool in combating religious discrimination and ensuring religious freedom," Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas Perez said.
Perez said the Justice Department is committed to vigorously enforcing RLUIPA to ensure that religious liberty for all remains protected.
"The rights guaranteed by the Constitution extend to all people in the United States. By protecting those rights even for those incarcerated we strengthen those rights for all," US Attorney for the Central District of California Andre Birotte said.
RLUIPA, which protects the religious freedom of persons confined to institutions such as prisons, mental health facilities and state-run nursing homes, was signed into law in September 2000.
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