LONDON: Of the many stories of Asians countering attacks in London and elsewhere during the recent unrest, one of the lesser known is that of Indian-origin shopkeeper Kiran Bhowan, who used a cricket bat to chase away looters.
Three rioters kicked their way into his shop in east London in daylight on Thursday, but were successfully chased away by Bhowan. One of the three, aged 17, on Friday pleaded guilty to violent disorder and burglary at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court.
James Bolton-Smith, prosecuting lawyer, said the teenager and his accomplices forced their way behind the counter.
He said the incident was horrifying for Bhowan, according to the Daily Telegraph.
He said: "The shopkeeper produced a cricket bat and managed to chase the three young men out of the shop before they took anything. The defendant admitted his particular part in interview and admitted trying to steal cigarettes because he thought the police were too busy to do anything."
Bhowan, 50, said he did not want his heroism "glorified", and told newspersons: "It was frightening and I'm still shaking at the moment. It's nerve-wracking when you have your family at the back of the shop - though fortunately they weren't here at the time."
He added: "Nothing was going through my mind when they came in - you've just got to make a decision. It had to be done, as simple as that. You have to take the first one even if 20 of them come in. You just can't let them walk over you. I don't want this glorified, I don't want more people coming around".
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