Vancouver, British Columbia, June 3 (IANS) Police in this Canadian province are looking for suspects who assaulted a 17-year-old Sikh youth whose turban was seized and his hair cut off by five thugs.

The assault, which has caused unrest among Sikhs in the Richmond area, took place near the Grauer Elementary School May 26 when the victim was walking through the playground on his way home from a friend's place.

The Sikh, whose identity has been withheld, was attacked by a group of unknown Caucasian males, according to the Royal Canadian Mountain Police (RCMP).

One of the attackers first made a racial slur at the youth, which he ignored and walked away. The suspects, believed to be in their early 20s, then ran after him and punched him several times on the head, knocked him down, kicked him and asked if he had any cigarettes, weed (drugs) or money on him, a police statement said.

When the youth replied "no", his pockets were searched and he was robbed of his wallet and personal papers, the youth alleged.

In a final act of misdemeanour, one of the suspects grabbed the victim's turban and cut his hair off with a weapon - identified as an 'exacto' knife. The victim rushed home and called the police immediately.

RCMP's Peter Thiessen said during a media conference Tuesday: "This is absolutely disgusting. Whether this is a hate crime or not, we're not clear yet but it has all the elements that could classify it as a hate crime."

"This has huge overtones in the Sikh community and we want them to remain calm and not overreact."

Sikh organisations have also called for calm among their community members.

"I'd like to ask my brothers and sisters to remain calm," said Balwant Sanghera, a spokesman for the Sikh Societies of the Lower Mainland.

"We are ready to give full support to both the police and the family of the victim."

Sanghera told IANS: "We condemn this incident. It's sad and shocking. This has never happened in the history of this city. Richmond is a model multicultural society."

Sanghera, who is also a member of the Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee and past president of the city's Multicultural Concerns Society, said both the organisations would take steps to ease the situation.

"We plan to meet the (Grauer Elementary) school board next week and reach the community through (these committees).

"This is very serious and we have some young men who may get too excited and I urge them to remain calm ... the hair, the turban, they are all religious symbols to us.

"I think the people who committed this heinous crime need help," Sanghera said. "I hope it's not a hate crime -- it's an isolated incident. I don't remember anything like this in the Lower Mainland before."

The police have sought public help to identify the attackers.