

Criminal charges were not pressed, and Garcha was released. In the meantime, Wayne State University and Garcha\'s lawyers are trying to work out a compromise, especially after Garcha was arrested again Dec. Kirpans are not considered weapons under the Sikh faith, and carrying them at all times is one of the key tenants of Sikhism, which has 25 million followers worldwide, according to the Sikh Coalition. I don\'t believe the ordinance was intended to be applied to cases like this,\" Serra said. He is expected to issue an opinion as soon as today that will likely exempt kirpans from the city\'s knife ordinance. His lawyers have asked 36th District Court Judge Rudy Serra to clarify the city\'s knife ordinance. The charge was later dropped, but the American Civil Liberties Union and the United Sikhs organization have rallied around the student, claiming the arrest violated Garcha\'s religious rights. Garcha, a practicing Sikh, said the knife was part of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded in India. Senior Sukhpreet Singh Garcha, 23, was arrested on campus in August on suspicion of carrying a 10-inch knife on his hip and was charged with violating a city ordinance, which prohibits carrying knives with blades longer than 3 inches. The arrest of a Wayne State University student has sparked conflict between upholding the city\'s knife ordinance and protecting religious freedoms.
