Jagjit Singh, a 51-year-old Indian man who came to Canada on a temporary visa to visit his newborn grandchild, was convicted of criminally harassing two teenage girls outside their school, according to a Toronto Sun report.
The report said Singh was arrested and sentenced to a short prison term and will now face deportation and a lifetime ban from re-entering Canada.
The Toronto Sun reported that Singh arrived in Canada in July on a six-month visa and regularly visited the high school’s smoking section where he tried to engage young girls.
The report noted that the girls said Singh, who did not speak English, tried to communicate with them and asked for photos.
He managed to take a picture with two girls under the impression that they thought he would leave afterwards. After sitting between them, he posed for another photo and then hugged one of the girls.
The girl stood up and pushed his arm away, the report said.
He was released on bail but was arrested again after a new complaint surfaced the same day. When he was brought to court, Singh pleaded not guilty to sexual interference, but guilty to harassment.
Here’s what the judge said
“You had no business being on that high school property,” Judge Krista Lynn Leszczynski noted as she handed down her verdict in the case.
“This type of behavior will not be tolerated.” Singh’s lawyer informed the judge that his client found the prison stay shocking and permanent.
The victim said: “I’m hit…”
One of the girls affected by Singh’s actions expressed her emotional toll, saying: “Part of it is so difficult that the perpetrator was someone who came to Canada as a newcomer. This betrayal has affected the way I see people from his culture and men who are older than me.”
Singh was arrested on September 16 and initially charged with sexual interference and sexual assault.
Although Singh had a ticket to return to India on December 30, the judge ordered his deportation.
Canada “forcibly” removed Indian nationals
The number of Indian nationals who have been “forcibly” expelled from Canada is on track to set a new record, surpassing the previous high in 2024, continuing an upward trend seen since 2019, a Hindustan Times report said.
According to data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the number of Indian nationals picked up has already reached 1,891 as of July 28 this year.
In comparison, 1,997 Indians were forcibly removed by Canadian authorities last year, second only to the 3,683 Mexicans removed and significantly more than the third largest group, 981 Colombians, the HT report said.
(With inputs from Toronto Sun, HT)
