Chawla

Satpal Singh Chawla (“Chawla”), his wife Jasbir Kaur, and his son Inderpreet Singh Chawla (collectively “Petitioners”) petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’ (“BIA”) decision affirming an immigration judge’s (“U’s”) denial of Chawla’s applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture (“CAT”) relief. The BIA’s decision was based on an adverse credibility finding. We grant the petition for review and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

I. BACKGROUND

Petitioners are a Sikh family from Delhi, India. Chawla, who was the president of a local Young Sikh Association in India, claims he was persecuted by the Indian police on two occasions. According to Chawla, the first incident of persecution occurred on March 15, 1998, when he was arrested by Indian police at a rally attended by Sikhs protesting the implementation of a new helmet law. The helmet law required all Sikhs to wear helmets while driving or riding on two-wheeled vehicles unless they were wearing a turban. The Sikhs were protesting the law because wearing helmets is against the Sikh religion. Chawla testified that while he was making a speech, rally…