National

Sikh teacher in Canada charged with sexual offences involving kids

Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 May, 2023 11:21 AM

Photo courtesy of courtsofbc.ca

Toronto, May 4 (IANS) A 40-year-old Sikh priest and teacher has been charged with six counts of sexual offences involving children in Canada's British Columbia province, a media report said citing prosecutors.

Bhupinder Singh Sonu, who made his first appearance at Surrey Provincial Court on Tuesday, has been charged with three counts each of sexual interference and sexual exploitation involving three different victims, the OMNI News channel reported.

Sonu, who worked as a tabla teacher and a priest at the Khalsa School of the Fraser Valley in Langley, had come to Canada on a work permit and acquired his permanent residency two weeks ago, according to defence lawyer Gagan Nahal.

Nahal added that Sonu is no longer employed by the school.

Court documents obtained by OMNI News said that the alleged offences took place between September 2022 and February 2023.

Sonu has been released under strict bail conditions, and his next appearance in court is on May 30.

Under Canada's criminal code, the maximum punishment for the charges is 14 years of prison.

If convicted under a single charge, Sonu will face deportation, Nahal told OMNI News.

There was no immediate comment from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

This comes just after 62-year-old Indo-Canadian homeopathic doctor Sunil Anand was charged with sexual assault and sexual interference of a young patient in Brampton, following an investigation by the Peel Regional Police Special Victims Unit.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Safety board to release report on B.C. tug sinking

Transportation Safety Board chair Kathy Fox and Clifford Harvey, the director of marine investigations, will hold a news conference to reveal the findings on the sinking of the tug Ingenika in February 2021. The tug was towing a barge and had a captain and two crew members aboard when it took on water and sank in Gardner Canal.

Safety board to release report on B.C. tug sinking

Metro Vancouver homeless count underway

The association says its volunteers try to be as accurate as possible in order to understand who is living without safe, affordable, appropriate housing, and why they are in that situation. That count was completed less than a week before the pandemic was declared and it identified 3,634 people who were experiencing homelessness.

Metro Vancouver homeless count underway

3 youths arrested for an alleged unprovoked attack with a hammer in Port Moody

During the physical altercation, one youth allegedly struck the victim with a hammer and another youth allegedly brandished a knife. A total of three suspects fled the scene and soon after, officers located them at a Skytrain station.

3 youths arrested for an alleged unprovoked attack with a hammer in Port Moody

Appointment of new Surrey Ethics Commissioner Peter Johnson

Mr. Peter Johnson is a partner with B.C. law firm, Stewart McDannold Stuart, and possesses more than 30 years of knowledge and experience providing legal advice and assistance to local governments throughout the province on a wide variety of matters.

Appointment of new Surrey Ethics Commissioner Peter Johnson

PBO: Plenty of immigration staff to meet goals

Yves Giroux says his office analyzed the cost of processing applications for economic immigrants through the express entry system for five fiscal years. For the 2022-23 fiscal year, the report said Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has 65 per cent more staff than needed to process applications on time.

PBO: Plenty of immigration staff to meet goals

Liberals remain under pressure on interference

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he will appoint a "special rapporteur" to probe foreign interference in Canada and recommend what more to do about it, among several measures aimed at responding to renewed scrutiny of the Liberal response so far.