The family of a Sikh priest who was left with life-changing injuries after a “violent” attack in Manchester have appealed for information.
The 62-year-old man has been in hospital since the attack on 23 June. He was found in a pool of blood after police were called by the North West ambulance service to a report of a man found unconscious in the road on Tib Street just before 6.30pm.
CCTV showed that the victim was assaulted by an unknown male close to Hilton Street in Manchester before the offender fled the scene on foot after leaving the victim unconscious in the middle of the road at the scene.
Greater Manchester police have released CCTV footage of the attack alongside pictures of a man and woman they believe will be able to assist with the investigation.
DI Mark Astbury, of Longsight CID, said: “We took the decision to release the CCTV footage with the family’s permission, simply to show the severity and mindlessness of this attack and why we need to make sure the offender is found and faces the consequences of his appalling actions.”
In a statement, the victim’s family described the priest as a “devoted husband and father” who “lived, worked and supported a community in a city he has loved for 37 years” .
The family described the attack as “mindless” and “violent” and said their loved one was “left for dead on the bustling streets of Manchester”. They described him as a man who “could not say a single hateful or negative comment, who taught those around him to practise kindness”.
The family appealed for information, asking for “anyone who knows anything or knows the offender to come forward”.
They said: “It is more than two months since the incident and we are no closer to finding them and bringing them to justice for their actions.
“Please, please act today not out of hate but to stop this happening again to someone else and tearing another family apart, as we would not wish this anguish on anyone else.”
Anyone with information, or who may recognise the man or woman pictured in the images, is asked to contact police on 0161 856 6049 .
People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
