No charges to be pressed in violent killing of Indo-Canadian activist
Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Apr, 2023 10:24 AM
Toronto, April 4 (IANS) Crown prosecutors in Canada's British Columbia province have decided not to press any charges in the violent killing of Indo-Canadian activist and filmmaker Manbir Mani Amar in 2022, media reports said.
Amar, a 40 year-old father of three, was fatally injured on August 31, 2022 during a physical altercation between two neighbours, leading to the arrest of one person.
British Columbia (BC) Prosecution spokesperson Dan McLaughlin told Global News that the case didn't meet the standard for charge assessment according to the Crown.
"The BC prosecution Service can confirm that, after carefully reviewing all the investigative materials submitted by IHIT (Integrated Homicide Investigation Team) investigators, no charges were approved in the case," McLaughlin said.
When conducting charge assessment, prosecutors must weigh both whether the case has a substantial likelihood of conviction and whether it is in the public interest, he said.
"In determining whether this test is satisfied, Crown Counsel must consider what material evidence is likely to be admissible and available at a trial; the objective reliability of the admissible evidence; and whether there are viable defences, or other legal or constitutional impediments to the prosecution, that remove any substantial likelihood of a conviction," McLaughlin told Global News.
He, however, did not say what exactly did not meet the prosecution service's standards to proceed in Amar's case.
"This was an isolated incident between two neighbours, tragically this situation escalated to a point where a life was taken," Sergeant Timothy Pierotti of IHIT had said after the incident.
Amar had produced documentaries and short films focusing on guns and gangs in Vancouver. His 2009 award-winning documentary, "A Warrior's Religion" provided an insight into the gang life in Vancouver's South Asian communities.
The IMDB describes his feature film "Footsteps Into Gangland", as "an adaptation of true events that shattered Metro Vancouver's South Asian community".
Several people escaped but police say a man and woman were found dead inside when firefighters were able to enter the house after knocking down the flames. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Edward Mills, one of the authors, said peginterferon lambda stands out as a potential "one-and-done" treatment for older patients, noting current options includemulti-dose infusions of monoclonal antibodies or the medication Paxlovid, which requires three pills repeated twice a day, for five days.
The motorcycle was travelling southbound on Douglas Road at the time of the crash, which is believed to have occurred at approximately 6:10 a.m. The hatchback was travelling eastbound on Laurel Street. The driver of the hatchback remained on scene. A 33-year-old motorcyclist was pronounced dead on scene.
Last month, the B.C. and federal government jointly announced the province is ramping up an early earthquake detection system in "high seismic risk areas." The national earthquake early warning system already has several hundred sensors overseen by Natural Resources Canada.
The government says its labour forecast helps businesses, post-secondary institutions, organizations and governments plan for the future. Selina Robinson, post-secondary education and future skills minister, says key growth areas for work will be in the technology and health-care sectors.
Defence Minister Anita Anand and Economic Development Minister François-Philippe Champagne are joining forces in the U.S. capital, selling the idea that Canada's nascent critical minerals industry makes it an ideal partner in fortifying a North American defence industrial base.
