New York: A Sikh teenager was attacked on a bus, here, by a 26-year-old man for wearing a turban, according to media reports.

According to police, Christopher Philippeaux accosted the 19-year-old Sikh boy on the New York City MTA bus, CBS News reported.

The incident occurred on the bus near 118th Street and Liberty Avenue in Queens on October 15, the report said

"We don't wear that in this country," Philippeaux told the Sikh teenager referring to his turban, and demanded that he also took off his mask.

He then punched the Sikh teenager on his face, back and in the back of his head, inflicting cuts and pain, according to police.

Police said the man also attempted to pull the turban off the head of the teen before alighting the bus and running along Liberty Avenue.

Police arrested Christopher Philippeaux, who had been granted parole in July 2021 after serving over two years in prison.

Philippeaux now faces charges of committing a hate crime, the CBS News report said.

He has been previously arrested, with his most recent arrest being for obstructing governmental administration in Brooklyn last month, as stated by the police. It seems that this case has been kept confidential, they added.

The Sikh teenager expressed feeling "upset and frustrated" about the attack on Wednesday, emphasizing that nobody should face harassment based on their appearance.