Indian-origin Sikh Mota Singh, who was the first-ever ethnic minority judge of the United Kingdom was died aged 86. He was the first to sit on the English Bench wearing a turban instead of a horse-hair wig.

The metro.co.uk reported, Mota Singh was taken to hospital after he found unconscious, but did not recover.

His wife Swaran Kaur said while paying tribute to him, that, "He was a wonderful person who achieved so much in his life. He was so hard working."

Mota Singh, a Ramgarhia Sikh, was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1930. He was only sixteen when his father, Sardar Dilip Singh, passed away.

He came to England in 1953 to complete the second part of his studies. In 1967, Singh joined the English bar and was appointed to the bench in 1982.

Mota Singh received a knighthood from the  Queen in 2010. It was the highest civilian honour for his services to the administration of justice and community relations.

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Nandini