International Student from Punjab gunned down while working as security guard in Edmonton
The fatal shooting of an Edmonton security guard last week is leading some to question the circumstances that put him in harm’s way.
Twenty-year-old Harshandeep Singh was gunned down early Friday morning in an apartment block on 107 Avenue, just north of Downtown Edmonton. Officers responding to reports of gunfire in the building found the young international student in a stairwell, wounded and unresponsive. He died in hospital.
The pair accused of killing Singh — Evan Rain and Judith Saulteaux —
were arrested over the weekend and charged with first-degree murder. Outrage grew after leaked surveillance video purporting to show the killing was posted online. Richard LaForge “forced” himself to watch the video over the weekend to understand Singh’s final moments. LaForge, a career security professional who is chairman of ASIS chapter 156, an international organization for security professionals, wondered why Singh was tasked with patrolling an apartment with a tough reputation while alone.
Continued on Page 10...
Gov-funded small business non-profit goes bankrupt one month after $2.7m federal grant
A British Columbia non-profit dedicated to helping small businesses thrive has filed for bankruptcy.
Small Business BC (SBBC), a non-profit organization that was in part funded by both the provincial and federal governments filed for bankruptcy Dec. 5 just one month after receiving a $2.7 million grant from Pacific Economic Development Canada, a federal funding agency. The news has the small business community in British Columbia
worried, with many programs and services in limbo.
Continued on Page 10...
Indian teenager becomes youngest world chess champion by beating Ding Liren of China
Indian grandmaster Gukesh D became the youngest world chess champion at the age of 18 years, six months and two weeks by defeating reigning champion Ding Liren from China in Game 14 of the world title match in Singapore on Thursday. Continued on Page 15...
Majority of Ontarians support deporting Temporary workers and international students
The federal government’s reduction in immigration and decision not to extend millions of visas that will expire next year has come as welcomed news to many Ontarians, according to a new poll.
In a One Persuasion poll commissioned by True North, 43.2% of Ontarians said they “strongly agree” that those with expired visas should be deported, while 34.1% said they “moderately agree.” A smaller cohort of 16.6% said they “moderately disagree” with deportation for those with lapsed visas while an even smaller minority said they “strongly disagree” at 6.1%. Documents tabled in Parliament by the Department of Immigration said that 4.9 million visas are going to expire between September 2024 and December 2025 and the government said it won’t be renewing many of them.
Continued on Page 10...
42 vehicles damaged in one night in Nanaimo
RCMP said it received 42 reports of windows being smashed, tires being flattened and broken side mirrors. Police say the incidents happened between 11 p.m. on Tuesday and 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
"Why the vandalism? It's unnecessary," Work said. He said he went up to his vehicle early in the morning and noticed the glass of a window on the back of his truck looked "different."
"I touched it, and the window exploded," he said. The RCMP said all of the damaged vehicles were either parked on the street or in parkades or parking lots. Officers noted that only driver's side windows were shattered on nine of the vehicles found on Harwell Road, and it appeared a "small projectile" may have been fired at the glass.
Three vehicles parked at Vancouver Island University had windows smashed, RCMP said.
FortisBC has been given approval by the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to jack natural gas prices up 17.5 per cent on January 1.
This is despite the fact Western Canadian natural gas prices have been at historic lows in 2024.
The hike will increase the average residential customer’s gas bill by $14.25 per month, based on consumption of 7.5 gigajoules of gas, according to FortisBC.
“We understand that rate changes may be difficult for some of our customers, and we want to assure you that these rate adjustments are aimed at better serving your energy needs,” Michelle Carman, FortisBC’s vice-president of customer service and external communications, said in a press release.
The rates are interim, the company notes. The BCUC is currently reviewing FortisBC’s 2025-27 rate setting proposal, which could affect the final rates, FortisBC says.
“This marks the first increase since 2022, as
overall gas rates fell in both 2023 and 2024 for most customers,” FortisBC notes in the release.
North American natural gas prices do not account for the rate spike. In fact, American and Western Canadian natural gas prices reached historic lows in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
According to the EIA, the Western Canadian benchmark daily spot price for natural gas price averaged US$1.04 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) in 2024 through October, reaching as low as US$0.31/MMBtu in September.
in NYC being held in Rimouski
A Pakistani man arrested in Quebec for an alleged plot to kill Jews in New York City is being held in a detention centre hundreds of kilometres from Montreal, where he says the Frenchspeaking guards don’t understand him.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who appeared remotely in Quebec Superior Court this morning, says he’s the only person at the provincial detention centre in Rimouski, Que., who speaks English, and he wants to be returned to a facility near Montreal.
His lawyer in Montreal, Gaétan Bourassa, says it’s difficult to communicate with his client because he’s so far away, and he’s been unable to show him court documents related to his case.
“I asked the judge that he should be [brought] back in Montreal for the purpose to be detained in the area of Montreal and to permit me to meet him. Because he is six hours from Montreal, to prepare the case,” explained Bourassa.
A Superior Court judge on Friday agreed to recommend that Khan be returned to the Montreal region and set his next court appearance for Dec. 20.
Khan, a Pakistani national living in Ontario, was arrested Sept. 4 in Ormstown, Que., allegedly on his way to carry out a mass shooting in support
Canadian border officials told members of Parliament Thursday that Canada is not a significant source of fentanyl headed into the United States. Aaron McCrorie, vice-president of intelligence and enforcement at the Canada Border Services Agency, made that comment to a parliamentary committee studying the impact of president-elect Donald Trump’s plans for border security and migration.
CBSA President Erin O’Gorman also said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has characterized the amount coming from Canada as “slippage” — small amounts sent over for personal use, mostly by post. Trump has threatened 25 per cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico unless the two countries step up on border security to tamp down on flows of illicit fentanyl. During the presidential race, Trump also
of the Islamic State at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn around Oct. 7, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel.
“The only way that they said that I can give it to him is to go in the Rimouski and deposit in this account over there, or to send it by post mail. And the post mail is on strike,” said Bourassa.
Authorities allege that Khan — who arrived in Canada in June 2023 on a student visa — intended to use “automatic and semi-automatic weapons” in an alleged terror plot. United States officials charged Khan with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a terrorist organization, and Canada has agreed to a request to have him extradited to stand trial.
“My impression that it was a victim of entrapment by police officers in the States. I’ll see if it’s the proof going that way,” said Bourassa.
A lawyer representing Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General – the liaison with the US – was unable to comment but presented documents in court to proceed with the case.
“I just received a documentation two days ago. I didn’t have the chance to pass through all the documents and talk to him about that,” said Bourassa. “We’ll see what would be their answer about those recommendations in that order.”
threatened to deport millions of undocumented people, stirring fears that could trigger an influx of migrants into Canada. Ottawa is compiling new measures to bolster border security through more staff and equipment in the face of Trump’s tariff threats.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared his border plan with the premiers during a Wednesday evening meeting, and Ottawa plans to add their suggestions into the soon-to-come package of measures.
Several media outlets have reported that the tab for that could surpass $1 billion, citing confidential sources.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme said he was surprised to see that figure bandied about in headlines, and that he’s not clear on whether Ottawa will actually put that much into beefing up the border.
The GST/HST holiday begins Saturday
This Saturday marks the beginning of the Liberal government's two-month GST/HST holiday that it says will give Canadians a break on the cost of some essential goods. Bill C-78, the legislation implementing the tax break, passed its third and final vote in the Senate and received royal assent on Thursday.
In order for an item to be sold tax-free between December 14, 2024 and February 15, 2025, it must be paid for in full and delivered by the end of the tax break period. The federal government says that items will be considered delivered once they are transferred from a supplier to a shipping service, or when they are put in the mail, rather than when they arrive at their destination.
Shoppers do not need to do anything to get the tax break; there is no claims process. The GST or HST will be simply not be charged at the time of purchase.
Here's a list of items getting a tax break: Food and groceries
-Prepared foods such as sandwiches, salads, platters and pre-made meals.
-Snacks including chips, candy, baked goods, fruit-based snacks and granola bars.
-Energy bars, but only if they are considered to be food by Health Canada are not enhanced by protein, caffeine, vitamins and/or minerals and meets other qualifications.
-Gift baskets, as long as at least 90 per cent of the contents are qualifying food or beverage items.
-Prepared meals and beverages, including delivery, but only when the food establishment delivers the meal.
-Prepared meals delivered by a third party (the delivery cost is not tax-exempt).
Beverages
-All non-alcoholic drinks, such as coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, juices and smoothies, provided they aren't sold through a vending machine.
-Alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, cider and sake, so long as the alcohol volume is 22.9 per cent or less.
-Spirit mixed coolers and premixed alcoholic beverages with an alcohol volume of seven per cent or less.
-Energy and protein shakes, provided they aren't enhanced with protein, caffeine, vitamins and/or minerals, and provided Health Canada considers them to be a food or beverage.
Restaurant meals and drinks
-Meals purchased at pubs, bars, food trucks or other places serving food and beverages.
-Mixed drinks served in restaurants and bars if they are qualifying beverages — sparkling wine and orange juice qualify, but a vodka and soda does not.
-Tips paid on meals and drinks, but only if they are included in the bill.
-Catering services that provide qualifying food and beverages.
Children's clothing and accessories
-Infant and children's clothes, including accessories such as bibs, blankets, hats, belts, suspenders, gloves and mittens.
-Footwear with an insole length of 24.25 cm or less. continued to page 7...
The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class-action lawsuit against Airbnb that alleges the short-term rental company has breached provincial consumer protection laws by offering unlicensed real estate brokerage and travel agent services.
Justice Elizabeth McDonald says in a decision posted online Thursday that lead plaintiff Margo Ware's lawsuit against Airbnb meets the test as a class action on behalf of consumers who paid fees or commissions when booking accommodations. Ware's lawsuit, first filed in April 2022, alleges Airbnb is not licensed anywhere in Canada to provide real estate or travel agent services, nor is it registered as
a money services business with the federal government. Airbnb did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling, and McDonald's decision says the company has not submitted a response to Ware's lawsuit, which was filed in May 2022. McDonald's ruling says Airbnb and several related companies claimed Ware's lawsuit was an "abuse of process" and part of a "series of repeated, piecemeal attacks" on the legality of the company's fees charged to users. The legal action applies to all those who made a reservation with Airbnb in Canada and outside Canada — excluding those in the United States — for accommodations in British Columbia. The ruling says the company
objected to the lawsuit moving ahead because of overlapping issues with other lawsuits it faced, but McDonald found the "only overlap" was that the company was "yet again" being sued for the alleged improper collection of fees.
McDonald's ruling says Airbnb also wanted the lawsuit heard in California rather than British Columbia, but the judge found the company offered "no meaningful evidence" about why the case shouldn't be litigated in the province. McDonald found the plaintiff "has shown a good arguable case" that, if proven, could open Airbnb up to damages under the province's Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
Trump picks Chandigarh-born Harmeet Dhillon for top Justice Department job
US President-elect Donald Trump on Monday nominated Indian-American Harmeet K Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice.
“I am pleased to nominate Harmeet K. Dhillon as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice,” Trump announced on Truth Social, a social media platform owned by him.
“Throughout her career, Harmeet has stood up consistently to protect our cherished civil liberties, including taking on big tech for censoring our free speech, representing Christians who were prevented from praying together during COVID, and suing corporations who use woke policies to discriminate against their workers,” he said. “Harmeet is one of the top election lawyers in the country, fighting to ensure that all, and ONLY, legal votes are counted. She is a graduate of Dartmouth
College and the University of Virginia Law School, and clerked in the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals,” Trump said.
“Harmeet is a respected member of the Sikh religious community. In her new role at the DOJ, Harmeet will be a tireless defender of our constitutional rights, and will enforce our civil rights and election laws FAIRLY and FIRMLY,” said the President-elect.
Dhillon was subject to racial attack after she recited Ardas at the Republican National Convention in July this year. Last year she unsuccessfully ran for the position of Republican National Committee chairmanship.
Trump mocks Trudeau
US President-elect Donald Trump took a jab at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the social media platform Truth Social, describing him as the “Governor of Canada”. Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago last week for a dinner with Trump to discuss the Presidentelect’s warning to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canada if its government failed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs from the country into the United States.
In a post on Truth Social mocking the Canadian prime minister, Trump said, “It was a pleasure to have dinner the other night with Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” During the dinner,
Chandigarh-born Dhillon, 54, moved to the United States when she was a child along with her parents. In 2016, she was the first Indian-American to appear on the stage of the GOP Convention in Cleveland.
when Trudeau said that such a tariff would destroy the Canadian economy, the Presidentelect reportedly told him to make Canada the 51st state of the United States. Trump repeated this in an interview with NBC News over the weekend and again in the post on Tuesday. “I look forward to seeing the Governor again soon so that we may continue our in depth talks on Tariffs and Trade, the results of which will be truly spectacular for all! DJT,” Trump said in his post.
“The president-elect’s mockery of Canada and its leader is the latest salvo after his promise to impose steep tariffs on Canadian exports,” The New York Times reported.
CBSA lost track of nearly 30,000 people wanted for deportation orders
OTTAWA — Nearly 30,000 individuals wanted for deportation are currently at large in Canada, newly-released documents suggest.
In a response to an order paper question filed by Fort McMurray-Cold Lake MP Laila Goodridge on deportation cases currently before the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), 29,731 people are listed as “wanted” by immigration authorities — described as those who failed to appear for deportation proceedings, including those with immigration warrants issued against them.
The vast majority — 21,325 — went missing from Ontario, the largest cohort of immigration absconders in the country. As Canada’s affordability crisis, plus threats of punitive tariffs from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, has the federal government rethinking Canada’s problematic and ineffective border policy, the Trudeau Liberals’ plans on slowing Canada’s record population growth and tightening our immigration space involves relying on the voluntary departure of nearly 2.4 million people over the next two years.
Ph: 604-591-5423
Fax: 604-591-8615
editor@theasianstar.com
Editor: Umendra Singh
Associate Editor: Harvinder Sandhu
Marketing and Sales: Ravi Cheema 604-715-3847
Shamir Doshi 604-649-7827
Harminder Kaur 778-708-0481
Parminder Dhillon 604-902-2858
Pre-Press: Avee Waseer
Production: Ozmo Media www.theasianstar.com
Publication Mail Agreement No 428336012
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. # 202 - 8388, 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4G2
Liberals quiet after being asked whether they've pushed past deficit 'guardrail'
“We have a finance minister who won’t tell us what the deficit is, and a prime minister who doesn’t think about monetary policy and that seems like a match made in heaven — but then again, maybe not,” she said, citing a The Globe and Mail article describing “tensions” between the country’s top two ministers and a dynamic similar to when Bill Morneau held the role before his resignation in 2020. “The prime minister bullies females and he bullies finance ministers — and now he’s bullying a female finance minister. How much longer is she going to put up with that?” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland attempted to insist the party was indeed united, but was drowned out by raucous laughter from the opposition benches. “Mr. Speaker, the only would-be bullies in this House are directly opposite, but I’m very comfortable standing up to them,” she said. “I look forward, together with my colleagues, to tabling the fall economic statement on Monday in this House.”
In a news conference earlier on Tuesday, Freeland declined to answer if the fall economic statement would meet her deficit targets, but insisted the statement will show a declining debt-to-GDP ratio.
Lantsman then challenged Freeland over the numbers expected in that report, asking her to reveal how big the deficit will be.
“It’s the finance minister who said over and over again that she would not go over her self-imposed guardrail of a $40-billion deficit, now the parliamentary budget officer says that’s yet another broken Liberal promise,” she said. During question period on Tuesday, deputy Opposition leader Melissa Lantsman accused the prime minister of not only losing control of the country’s spending, but also his finance minister.
BC approves $6 billion of wind farms
Canada’s third-most populous province is giving the go-ahead to wind farms worth as much as C$6 billion ($4.2 billion). The electricity company BC Hydro, owned by the west coast province of British Columbia, awarded 30-year purchase agreements to nine projects promising almost 5,000 gigawatt hours per year of electricity, adding about 8% to the region’s grid by 2031. BC will also exempt wind projects from environmental assessments.
The province’s power demand is expected to rise by 15% or more by 2030, so it will issue more calls for new power generation over the coming years. BC is “well-positioned to add more intermittent renewables” while its dams “act as batteries,” the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions said.
The renewable-friendly approach positions BC at odds with its oil-rich neighbour Alberta to the east and US President-elect Donald
Trump, who campaigned on a hydrocarbonsfocused mantra of “drill, baby, drill.”
“That presents a huge opportunity for us,” Premier David Eby said at a press conference in Vancouver, referring to BC’s neighbours.
Eight of the nine winning projects are 51% owned by Indigenous groups known as First Nations. A minimum First Nations equity stake of 25% was a requirement to apply.
The call for power was source-agnostic but wind proposals had the best cost profiles, Eby said. The average price from successful projects is about 40% lower than the utility’s last call for clean power in 2010, the energy ministry said. BC — a rugged region of fjords and mountains — has enjoyed abundant hydroelectricity for years, but growing demand is pushing it to embark on a grid-wide upgrade worth C$36 billion over the coming decade. In recent years, due to drier weather, it also imported significant amounts of power.
An international student died after an being impaled by a tree on James Lake Forest Service Road, east of Kelowna.
The RCMP have confirmed to Black Press that the incident which claimed the life of 22year old student Rittika Rajput, took place shortly before 3:00 a.m. on Dec. 7.
Family-friend Amarjit Lalli said that Rajput and her friends were having a bonfire in the forest near the James Lake Recreation Area when a windstorm suddenly blew in.
The wind caused a large tree to snap at it's base. The large pine tree then crashed down onto the picnic bench area where the friend group was sitting. While her friends were able to escape, Rajput got caught in the branches of the tree.
would happen."
In disbelief after hearing the news of Rajput's death, Lalli drove up to the James Lake Recreation Area to see the scene for himself.
An image of the scene taken by Lallii shows the picnic bench where the group of friends were sitting completely destroyed by the tree. "They were just having a bonfire and enjoying the back country... It's a Canadian thing."
Police are considering the incident to be nonsuspicious.
"You just never think something like this
The Kelowna-based Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) team were dispatched to the incident at approximately 3:15 a.m.t o assist the BC Ambulance Service, said Ed Henzel, search manager for COSAR, but were stood down while en-route.
TransLink says there was record-breaking ridership across all its transit modes over the weekend and thousands of people descended upon Vancouver for the final three dates of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.
In total, TransLink says it hit a major ridership milestone with more than 1.9 million journeyys taken across all its transit modes from Friday, Dec. 6 to Sunday, Dec. 8. Swifties took the SkyTrain, Canada Line, SeaBus, the West Coast Express and bus to get into the downtown core, which in addition to the concerts at BC Place had pop-up Taylor Swift-themed events and photo opportunities throughout the city.
Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain Station, which is the closest to BC Place, had its three highest days of ridership since Compass card data first became available in 2017, according to the TransLink release Tuesday (Dec. 10). Total daily boardings at the station were: 33,500 on Friday, a 119-per-cent increase over recent comparable Fridays; 27,500 on Saturday, a 98-per-cent increase over recent comparable Saturdays; and 28,000 on Sunday, a 131-per-cent increase over recent comparable Sundays.
SeaBus ridership surged, with about 70,000 boardings over the weekend. It was a 64-per-cent increase compared to recent weekends.
The West Coast Express and a special 'Midnight' train that carried 1,200 passengers between Mission and Waterfront Station. TransLink also added 108 special 'Swift' shuttle buses to
help manage high passenger volumes, SkyTrain frequence was increased so trains were leaving every two-and-a-half minutes during the peak post-concert crowds and SeaBus was running on a 10-minute schedule in the evenings.
Sunday was the standout, with 516,000 journeys. TransLink said it was the highest Sunday ridership recorded for a non-holiday weekend, placing just behind Canada Day and B.C. Day in 2018 and 2019. TransLink also created special friendship-bracelet style transit maps in honour of the concert weekend. They were meant to help out-of-town concertgoers familiarize themselves with the local transit system, as well as create a photo and selfie opportunities.
The maps were designed in-house, according to a TransLink spokesperson. There were nine maps – two large versions at StadiumChinatown and seven other smaller versions – that cost $5,117 for design, installation and removal.
The GST/HST holiday begins Saturday
Continued from Page 3...
-Some sports clothing, such as jerseys, ski jackets, leotards, unitards and bodysuits that can be worn outside of sports or dance activities.
-Diapers, both cloth and disposable, training pants or rubber pants designed to be used with diapers.
-Children's car seats, provided they meet Canadian safety standards and are not part of a stroller/carrier travel system.
-Specialized items of clothing — including wetsuits, soccer cleats, bowling shoes, skates, ski boots and tap shoes — do not qualify.
Children's toys and video games
-Board games and card games, including playing cards and Pokémon cards.
-Toys that involve building, creating or assembling structures.
-Dolls, plush toys and soft toys and their accessories.
-Toys marketed for children below 14 years of age.
-Jigsaw puzzles for all ages.
-Video game consoles and video games for consoles qualify, but downloadable or onlineonly games do not.
-Collectibles — including hockey cards, dolls or other toys marketed to adults — do
not qualify.
Books, magazines and newspapers
Most published books, including guide books and audio books.
Bound or unbound printed versions of scripture associated with any religion.
Magazines and periodicals bought with a subscription which have no more than five per cent of their printed space devoted to advertising.
Newspapers that contain news stories, editorials, features, or other information of interest to the general public and are published daily, weekly or monthly.
E-books and downloadable audio books do not qualify. Neither do books to write in, such as diaries, notebooks and agendas, and electronic and digital publications.
BC Govt wants to seize assets and cash of Surrey towing business
A Surrey towing business bought hundreds of catalytic converters despite knowing they had been stolen, a B.C. government lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit, filed Nov. 25 by the provincial director of civil forfeiture, seeks to seize the house belonging to business owner Jasvindar Singh and more than $210,000 cash found inside. The allegations stem from a Burnaby RCMP investigation that began in 2021 and targeted offenders stealing the valuable car parts.
alleged. It also said Singh would recycle the converters through his business, A-Jazz Mobile Trading and Towing, on 76th Avenue in Surrey.
“Between June 10, 2022 and May 24, 2023, J. Singh purchased several catalytic converters from an undercover police officer with the understanding that they were stolen.”
Catalytic converters, part of a car’s exhaust system designed to reduce emissions, are valuable to thieves because they contain valuable metals such as platinum, rhodium and palladium. ICBC receives millions of dollars in claims for stolen converters every year.
“During the investigation, J. Singh was identified as a buyer of stolen catalytic converters and would knowingly purchase stolen catalytic converters,” the director’s statement of claim
On June 1, 2023, Mounties searched Singh’s house, which is co-owned by his spouse, as well as his business and a third Surrey address.
At the house, officers found 36 catalytic converters and $219,925 in cash. At the business, police seized 400 catalytic converters and other business documents, plus three laptops and other items. None of these allegations have been proven in Court.
Toronto police call out Trudeau after convict on parole charged with murdering girlfriend
The Toronto Police Association (TPA) called out Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for allowing criminals to be let loose after a man convicted of assault allegedly murdered his girlfriend while on parole.
Aaron Shea, 33, who was released from prison on statutory release, is charged with first degree murder for the death of Alisha Brooks, 34, in the city’s east end Sunday night.
Shea was serving a sentence of three years and one month after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and other charges. After serving two-thirds of the sentence, he was released to a supervised halfway house.
“Another tragedy leaving behind more questions than answers,” wrote TPA in a statement on social media, tagging the prime minister.
“How was this person, with their history, allowed to access a firearm and be alone with a partner when they were supposedly living in a supervised community setting?”
“What answers are you providing Justin Trudeau to the victim’s family, or our communities who continue to see the heartbreaking results of your weak policies on crime?”
APPLIANCES REPAIR SERVICE
CALL US TODAY!
Man faces assault charges after punching stranger in face, implicated in 2 other Vancouver incidents
Police in Vancouver say a man accused of sucker-punching a stranger on a busy downtown street late last month is facing charges and is accused of two other assaults in the span of just a few days.
The Vancouver Police Department had appealed to the public for help in finding the suspect after surveillance video captured him punching a man in the face in what it says was an unprovoked attack near Granville and Georgia streets on Nov. 28.
A 29-year-old man is now facing assault charges in relation to the incident, and the VPD says he has also been charged in relation to a Nov. 24 assault near the Vancouver Art Gallery and a Nov. 25 assault near West Pender and Granville streets.
The VPD says the man was arrested on Dec. 3 near Library Square.
Police don’t believe any of the victims knew the suspect or had any sort of interaction with them before they were assaulted.
TD sues to recover funds after near-$1M fraud in Metro Vancouver
The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) (TSX:TD) is seeking to recover funds after a fraudster in Metro Vancouver allegedly attempted to finagle nearly $1 million from the bank.
It is not entirely clear what happened to most of that money, although it is possible that the bank was able to recover much of it from bank accounts held within TD.
The lawsuit centres on $204,788 of that money now allegedly held in other Canadian banks.
TD is suing three Canadian banks where that money allegedly still resides: Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) (TSX:RY), Bank of Montreal (BMO) (TSX:BMO) and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) (TSX:CM).
It is also suing Vancouver’s Entercan Immigration Services Inc., of which the sole director is Mehri Bani, who allegedly is the holder of an RBC account where some of the money was funnelled.
TD is also suing Monireh Ghaderi, who is the holder of accounts at BMO and CIBC, where
some of the money allegedly is held.
BIV reached out to the banks, which either did not respond with a comment or said that they could not comment because the matter is before the court.
Bani told BIV that she did not have a comment: “For now, nothing,” she said. “We can talk later because this is before the court.”
BIV was unable to find contact information or reach Monireh Ghaderi. TD said it has reimbursed $968,598.06 to one of its customers, who was allegedly victimized after the customer transferred that money into the fraudster’s TD bank account.
TD alleges in its notice of civil claim filed Dec. 4 that this alleged fraudster on or about July 12 went to a Surrey TD bank branch and opened a bank account in the victim’s name by impersonating the victim. The lawsuit does not identify the victim or say what identification the alleged fraudster used to create the false identity. TD did not say what identification the fraudster used when asked by BIV.
BC Coroners Service reports 'significant decline' in drug deaths
B.C. has recorded its lowest monthly number of illicit drug overdose deaths in more than four years, part of what the B.C. Coroners Service says is a “significant decline” in fatalities this year.
A statement from the service says 1,925 people died in overdoses in the first 10 months of this year, down nine per cent from the same period last year. The 155 people who died from drug poisoning in October is also a drop from the 183 people who died in September.
The office says it doesn’t have data to suggest why there are fewer deaths, but “it is consistent with reporting from other jurisdictions” and officials are working to understand the change.
Despite the improvement, unregulated toxic drugs remain the leading cause of unnatural death in B.C. for those ages 10 to 59, and account for more deaths than homicides, suicides, accidents and natural disease combined.
The service says 22 per cent of deaths in October were among women, and in 2024, the
death rate for women and girls was more than double what it was five years ago.
But there were no deaths in October due to unregulated drugs for people under age 19.
“The toxic drug supply remains one of the most serious threats to public health, affecting people from all walks of life. While we have seen encouraging progress, with the lowest number of deaths in four years, there is still much work ahead,” Health Minister Josie Osborne said.
2 charged in relation to 2021 killing of Surrey man
The Lower Mainland’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) says charges have been approved against two men in relation to the killing of a Surrey man in 2021.
On Monday, IHIT released an update on the murder of then-38-year-old Kenneth Thomas Howe, who was found dead in an industrial area of Burnaby on Aug. 12, 2021.
Police say that this past Saturday, Dec. 7, officers arrested 38-year-old John Perry Harasym in relation to the death.
“Homicide investigators obtained sufficient evidence and presented the case to the BC Prosecution Service who laid a second-
degree murder charge against Mr. Harasym,”
Staff Sgt. David Lee said in a statement.
“A second individual, 34-year-old Jesse River Miller, was determined to be involved after his death. On December 7, 2024, the BC Prosecution Service laid a charge of indignity to human remains against Mr. Miller,” Lee continued. Both men remain in custody awaiting their next court appearance.
“As this matter is now before the courts, we are unable to provide additional details,” Lee said. “We hope that this is a step to obtaining some answers for the friends and family of Kenneth Howe.”
Majority of Ontarians support deporting TFWs, international students with expired visas
Continued from Page 1...
That message appears to be resonating with the overwhelming majority of those living in Canada’s most densely populated province. Broken down by region, that sentiment was felt highest in the Greater Toronto Area at 49% and least in Northern Ontario at 34%.
Men were more likely than women to agree with deportation, particularly those aged 35 to 54 at 48%, compared to women of the same age bracket at 40%. Forty per cent of men aged 18 to 34 and 39 of women in the same age range strongly agreed with deportations.
The data skewed partially along partisan lines based on how respondents voted last election. Conservative voters were the most likely to “strongly” support deportation at 53%, followed by NDP voters at 33%, with Liberal voters trailing
closely behind at 31%.
Those who voted Liberal last election were also the most likely to “strongly disagree” with deportation at 10%, followed by NDP voters at 6% and 2% of Conservative voters.
However, voters of all stripes “moderately agreed” with deportation as both Conservative and Liberal voters tied at 35% with a slight uptick among NDP voters at 36%.
Respondents’ level of education was also a deciding factor in how they felt about the issue, albeit not that it revealed any great disparity between opinions.
Those who attended a trade school or tech community college were the most likely to “strongly” support deportation at 47%, followed closely by those with a high school diploma at 45%.
Statistics Canada says household debt-todisposable income ratio falls in Q3
OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the amount Canadian households owe relative to their income fell in the third quarter as a rise in disposable income outpaced the growth in debt. It was the sixth consecutive quarter that the measure declined. The agency says
the ratio of household credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income in the third quarter fell to 173.1 per cent on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 175.3 per cent in the second quarter.
In other words, Statistics Canada says there was $1.73 in credit market debt for every dollar of household disposable income.
The move came as the household debt service ratio — measured as total obligated payments of principal and interest on credit market debt as a proportion of household disposable income — fell to 14.72 per cent in the third quarter compared with 14.98 per cent in the second quarter.
Debt payments rose 0.2 per cent as disposable income gained two per cent.
Gov-funded small business non-profit goes bankrupt one month after $2.7m federal grant
Continued from Page 1...
SBBC, which provided crucial support to entrepreneurs through grants, resources, and programs like the Export Navigator, is now listed as “permanently closed,” its website is offline, and its CEO is on leave, reported Business in Vancouver. The sudden closure has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. Conservative MLA and jobs critic Gavin Dew accused the B.C. NDP government of negligence, highlighting its significant funding and representation on SBBC’s board as evidence it should have been aware of the organization’s
financial troubles. “The government was not in the dark here. They cannot possibly have been surprised. (BC’s job ministry) has a board member on SBBC to steward their significant long-time contribution of taxpayers’ dollars,” Dew told True North in an emailed statement. “We don’t really know what happened here, but we can assume the minister was briefed –either the current minister, the former minister, or both. If they knew a legacy organization with a close relationship to government was about to declare bankruptcy, why didn’t they do anything about it?
International Student from Punjab gunned down while working as security guard in Edmonton
Continued from Page 1...
“I think it comes down to, ‘Why is the guard in that situation?'” LaForge said. “Why is he working alone? Why is it OK that they be deployed in that type of situation?”
“We need to make sure people are going to work safely,” he added. “This poor kid should never have been put in that situation.”
A family representative said Singh had been on the job for just three days.
Singh — a brother and his parents’ only son — was enrolled in the business administration program at NorQuest College A family spokesperson said he came to Canada a year and a half ago “full of dreams for a better life and opportunities to support his family back in India.”
An online fundraiser to bring his body home had raised more than $120,000 as of press time.
National Security Guard Protection Services, an Edmonton-based security firm, said in a Facebook post that Singh was an employee.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Jagdeep Singh, 21, was friends with Singh. They met in a strategic management class at Norquest. “He was kind, he was so helpful,” Jagdeep Singh said during a break in the student centre lounge. “He was so worried about his studies, because of the language barrier, English was his third language.”
Singh has watched the video, which shows a suspect yelling as he prodded a man who appears to be Harshandeep Singh into the stairwell, sending him stumbling down the stairs before firing.
“He surrendered, like in front of them, yeah? But they shot him,” Jagdeep Singh said.
“His family was so shocked, they were not processing it. He was the only boy child. I can feel for what his family is suffering. What were his goals here? It just vanished. Everything is vanished,” he said.
Man dead after fatal accident in Sigatoka
A 62-year-old man of Sigatoka died this morning in a road accident in Sigatoka.
Fiji Police Force states around 1:00am this morning, the man was driving along the Queens Road at Koromumu, Sigatoka when his vehicle went off road and hit the railings.
A passer by driver went to check and found him not responsive. He was taken to Sigatoka Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigation into the accident is underway.
2183 fijians barred from labour mobility program
As many as 2183 Fijians are blacklisted on the labour mobility program because of their adverse police record.
Employment Ministry permanent secretary Maritino Nemani, while highlighting this at the 26th Attorney-General’s conference in Nadi yesterday, said these Fijians found themselves blacklisted not because they lack skills or dedication, but because of past mistakes. He said the labour mobility program represented one of Fiji’s most significant pathways of economic development today and he believed the system should be reformed. “In 2023 alone, 142 potential workers were excluded from our labour mobility program because of adverse police record,” Mr Nemani said.
“And as I speak to this distinguished gathering of Fiji’s legal minds, I believe we both have an opportunity and obligation to reform this system.”
Mr Nemani said our labour mobility programs represented one of Fiji’s most significant pathways of economic development today. “For records, ever since this program started, the remittance is over $300million Fijian dollars coming to the economy.
“Today, 2183 Fijians find themselves blacklisted. “As permanent secretary for Employment Productivity and Workplace Relations, I see firsthand how our current framework, while well intentioned, maybe perpetuating cycles of economic disadvantage.
“Through partnership with Australia and New Zealand, we have created opportunities for thousands of Fijians to work abroad, support their families and return with enhanced skills and savings. “However, our current screening process presents a complex challenge. “Every applicant must declare past conviction initiating a comprehensive background check through the Fiji Police Force.
“While this process serves as maintaining program integrity, our data reveals troubling patterns that demands our attention.”
Water supply restored at CWM Hospital
Water supply has been restored at the CWM Hospital. fijivillage News has been alerted that supply is inconsistent at the hospital every week, and this is affecting the patients like surgeries have had to be delayed and hygiene is another major area of concern.
We have been told that services were disrupted due to turbidity issues being faced by the Water Authority of Fiji at their treatment plants. Patients were handed bottled water by staff yesterday. While responding to questions by fijivillage News yesterday, WAF said water trucks were refilling the tanks at the hospital. After we highlighted the issue regarding water cuts yesterday, the Ministry of Health issued a press
statement saying that the CWM Hospital is currently facing a shortage of water supply that is affecting some areas of the hospital.
They advise members of the public visiting the hospital for appointments or visitation to bring along their supply of drinking water for the duration of their stay.
Break-in at mosque in Nadi
There has been an alleged case of sacrilege reported at the Masjid Muhammadi in Mulomulo, Nadi. Pictures sent in shows items in the mosque scattered around and those responsible left writings on the wall. One of the words written in the iTaukei language is vulgar.
This is the second break-in at the mosque – the first one was reported on November 19th.
We have sought comments from the Fiji Police Force
Former RFMF accounts officer & wife in court
A former principal accounts officer of the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces who facilitated payments of $467,616.40 to Ink Escape supplies made first appearance this afternoon.
The officer, Ledua Biuvuli Matai alongside his wife co-accused Taucilagi Duri appeared before Suva Senior Magistrate Sufia Hamza. Mr Matai is charged with abuse of office for
gain while Ms Duri faces a charge of aiding and abetting abuse of office.
It is alleged that Mr Matai in abuse of his authority failed to declare his personal interest in a business named Ink Escape Supplies before adding the business as an RFMF vendor. He is also alleged to have facilitated payments of $467,616.40 to Ink Escape Supplies from the RFMF. Ms Duri is alleged to have aided and abetted Mr Matai in the offence.
The incident are alleged to have occurred between November 2019 and June 2022.
The case adjourned to tomorrow.
Pakistani Father and stepmother convicted of girl's brutal murder in UK
The father and stepmother of Sara Sharif, a 10-year-old girl who was found dead in her home in Britain, were on Wednesday convicted of her murder after a trial which heard harrowing details of her treatment before her killing.
Sharif was found dead in August 2023 at her home in Woking, a town southwest of London, after what prosecutors say was a campaign of "serious and repeated violence".
The family fled to Pakistan immediately after Sara Sharif was killed, before they were arrested in September 2023 at London's Gatwick airport after flying from Dubai. Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones told jurors at the start of the trial that Sara had suffered a litany of injuries, including burns, broken
bones and bite marks. Sara's father Urfan Sharif, 43, and his wife Beinash Batool, 30, stood trial at London's Old Bailey court charged with her murder, which they denied. The jury convicted Urfan Sharif and Batool of Sara's murder. Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, 29, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of causing or allowing Sara's death. Sharif and Batool will be sentenced on December 17. Emlyn Jones told jurors at the start of the trial that Urfan Sharif had called police and said: "It wasn't my intention to kill her, but I beat her up too much."
Sharif gave evidence and initially denied responsibility for Sara's death. He accepted slapping Sara to discipline her, but denied beating her in a regular or sustained way.
Pak court indicts Imran, wife Bushra in 2nd Toshakhana case
A Pakistani court indicted imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife on fresh charges of illegally selling state gifts on Thursday, local broadcaster Geo reported. The indictment was the latest in dozens of cases against the 72-year-old former cricket star, who has been in jail since late last year. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have already been granted bail in the case, which is one of a series of state treasury charges known as Toshakhana. These charges revolve around allegations that Khan and his wife illegally procured and then sold gifts worth more than 140 million
rupees ($5,01,000) in state possession, which he received during his 2018-22 premiership. They have denied committing an offence.
Khan and Bibi were both handed a 14year sentence on those charges days before a national election earlier this year, following a three-year sentence handed to him in late 2023 in another version of the same case.
However, their sentences have been suspended in appeals at the high court. The gifts included diamond jewellery and seven watches, six of them Rolexes - the most expensive being valued at 85 million rupees.
Jalaluddin Haqqani’s brother killed in Kabul suicide blast
The Afghan Taliban's acting minister for refugees, Khalil Rahman Haqqani — the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of insurgent group Haqqani network — and six other people were killed in an explosion in the capital Kabul on Wednesday, his nephew said.
A Taliban spokesperson said that Khalil Haqqani had been killed by the Islamic State militant group, who did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack.
The suicide bombing occurred inside the ministry, killing Khalil Haqqani, officials said. His last official photo showed him at a meeting chaired by the deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, earlier Wednesday. Khalil Haqqani is the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister who leads a powerful network within the Taliban. Haqqani was the most high-
profile casualty of a bombing in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power and the first Cabinet member to be killed since the takeover. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.
The government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a post on X that Haqqani’s death was a great loss and described him as a tireless holy warrior who spent his life defending Islam.
Haqqani’s killing may be the biggest blow to the Taliban since their return to power given his stature and influence, according to Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centre’s South Asia Institute. It also comes at a time when the Taliban have staked their legitimacy on restoring peace after decades of war, he added.
“The killing of a top Haqqani leader inside one of its own ministries undercuts that core narrative,” he said.
Joy Bangla no longer Bangladesh national slogan
Bangladesh Supreme Court has stayed a High Court verdict that declared Joy Bangla — popularised by Bangbandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman — as the country’s national slogan.
Following the change of government, the state moved to suspend the High Court’s ruling and on December 2 filed the leave to
appeal petition with the SC seeking stay on the High Court verdict of March 10, 2020. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed on Tuesday passed the order on the ground that the national slogan is a matter of the government’s policy decision and the judiciary cannot interfere in this issue.
Why Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts face restrictions
Music as a medium has been stellar at creating unity among masses. While many have tried to acquire a prominent status in the industry, only a few have succeeded.
Diljit Dosanjh is one of them.
Primarily, a Punjabi singer, he descends from Jalandhar, who has managed to captivate the hearts of many. After the announcement of his Dil-Luminati tour in India, his influence worked
its magic with the music mogul selling out several states within a few minutes. These numbers are an ode to the singer’s ability to unify audiences. Although, large audiences yield great numbers,
this also means that the audience spans across various age groups. This discrepancy has brought Diljit under various restrictions. Two of them being carefully curated deployment of lyrics accompanied by careful management of various age groups. While such changes must come by principle, Diljit is bound by restrictions to make sure certain rules are followed. Ahead of his Hyderabad concert on November 15, Diljit was instructed by the Telangana government to avoid performing songs that promote alcohol, drugs, or violence. The directive was issued following previous occasions where similar themes had appeared in his setlist. In response, Diljit modified his lyrics, much to the delight and amusement of his fans. Shortly after, Various clips of Diljit altering the lyrics of his music started circulating social media.
In one such video, the singer replaces the line “Tainu teri daaru ch pasand aa Lemonade” with “Tainu teri coke ch pasand aa Lemonade” while performing his hit song Lemonade. While these quirky takes helped bolster his standing within his audiences, the singer is facing yet another hurdle ahead of his penultimate concert in Chandigarh on December 14.
PaneladvisesDiljittoavoidsingingdrug&liquorsongs
The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights has asked singer Diljit Dosanjh to avoid singing songs that promote alcohol, drugs and violence during his December 14 show at the Exhibition Ground, Sector 34, here. The singer, who is set to perform here as part of his ‘Dil-Luminati’ India Tour, has been advised to avoid songs such as “Patiala peg” and “5 tara”, even with twisted words. “These songs affect the
said in an advisory. Citing a WHO report, the commission has asked Diljit not to invite children on stage during the show, where peak-sound pressure remains above 120db, as it is ‘harmful’ for them. The WHO report, cited in the advisory, states that adults should not be exposed to music with a peak sound pressure level above 140db and children to 120 db. The advisory comes in the wake of concerns raised during Diljit’s concerts in
HC upholds doctors’ rightful pay, raps state for arbitrary action
The Punjab and Haryana High Court reaffirmed the entitlement of assistant professors in the state’s medical education service to their rightful pay scales, as per the Punjab Medical Education (Group-A) Service Rules of 2016. The Division Bench, comprising Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Lapita Banerji, dismissed the State of Punjab’s appeal, which had challenged a Single Bench ruling directing compliance with the prescribed pay scales.
In its judgment, the Bench criticised the state’s “capricious and irrational” actions, noting that the arbitrary handling of the matter had forced the doctors to seek judicial intervention. “Doctors ought to be treated with respect and dignity and given their lawful dues under the rules,” the court stated.
The case stemmed from the denial of the
statutory pay scales to doctors appointed as assistant professors under the 2016 rules. Instead, the state had applied lower central pay scales, an action the doctors successfully contested in the Single Bench. The court emphasised that the executive instructions issued by the state could not override statutory provisions, and that any deviation from the established pay scales would require an amendment to the rules, a process the state had not undertaken.
Court rules out coin-toss sarpanch election
Employing the toss system to break a tie in the election has failed to find favour with the Punjab and Haryana High court.
Dismissing a petition challenging the declaration of a sarpanch election result, a Division Bench asserted that such a practice was a deviation from the prescribed rules under the Punjab State Election Commission Act, 1994, and the Punjab Panchayati Raj Election Rules, 1994. The assertion by the Bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Sudeepti Sharma came on a petition filed by Palwinder Singh seeking directions to the State
as sarpanch of Pandori Takhtmal village in Tarn Taran district. The Bench, during the course of hearing, was told that the petitioner, contesting the sarpanch election in October, was initially declared the winner by two votes with 247 out of 540 votes cast. He contended that opponent Gurjinder Singh, in connivance with the ruling party MLA, came to the polling booth and forcibly “changed the election result by capturing all votes”.
The result was later overturned and Gurjinder Singh was declared elected after the returning officer reportedly resolved the tie through a coin
A tinselled garland presented to and worn by Mahatma Gandhi during the iconic Dandi March of the Indian freedom struggle in 1930 remains open for bids after it failed to meet its GBP 20,000-30,000 guide price estimate at a UK auction this week. The garland, in folded paper wrappers inscribed in Gujarati, is said to have been presented as the Salt March passed near the Ahmedabad home of Gandhi's personal physician Dr Balvantrai N Kanuga and was offered by his wife, Nanduben Kanuga. It came up for auction as part of an ‘Islamic and Indian Art' sale by Lyon & Turnbull in London on Wednesday.
“I am very surprised that the ‘Gandhi Garland' did not find a home on the day of the auction,” said Kristina Sanne, Head of Sale at the auction
house specialising in fine arts and antiques. “That said, we have had quite a lot of interest since the sale and hope to sell it to the highest bidder. It deserves a great home,” she said. The garland is composed of a large teardroshaped medallion of pink cloth backed on card, applied with silver and gold thread and sequins in an elaborate decorative pattern. It is edged with gold tinsel, with four smaller rectangular medallions and two triangular medallions similarly decorated and all connected with gold threads to form a necklace. It passed on through descent from the collection of the late Dr Balvantrai N Kanuga, who along with his wife spent extensive periods at Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram as fellow satyagrahis. An amateur photograph of Gandhi being presented with the garland is inscribed on the reserve to read: “Gandhiji Nanduben Kanuga. On the day of Dandi March. At Bungalow 12th March 1930.” The literature with the auction lot states: “This garland was presented to Gandhi to mark an auspicious beginning to the Salt March, a major non-violent protest in India in March-April 1930. The Salt March was one of the most successful campaigns in Gandhi's struggle against British rule in India to win equal rights and freedom for Indians.
Class-11 student in UP stabs teacher for seizing cell phone
A Class-11 student of Navayug Inter College at Mihinpurwa in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district allegedly stabbed his English teacher on Thursday for confiscating his mobile phone in the classroom, police said. Rajendra Prasad sustained serious injuries and is ndergoing treatment at the district medical college, they added. Assistant Superintendent of Police (City) Ramanand Prasad Kushwaha told PTI, "Three days ago, the teacher confiscated mobile phones of several students since using cell phones is prohibited on the campus. Angered by the move, one of the boys attacked the teacher with a knife when he was taking attendance on Thursday." The injured teacher was rushed to a local hospital which referred him to the district medical college due to the severity of his
injuries, the ASP said. Based on a complaint lodged by the teacher's family, a case has been registered against the accused student, and the knife used in the crime has been recovered, the officer said. Speaking to reporters from his hospital bed, Prasad said, "A few days ago, mobile phones of a few students were confiscated which were returned later. However, some students got upset by the move. Three students were involved in the attack on me -- one arranged the knife, another attacked me, while a third assisted them. I was caught off-guard when I was attacked. As I tried to push him away, he struck on my head."
"If evidence shows the involvement of other students, action will be taken against them as well," Kushwaha said.
Holding that mere harassment was not sufficient to find an accused guilty of abetting suicide, the Supreme court has discharged the husband and two in-laws of a woman who died by suicide allegedly after being harassed by them for dowry.
"For a conviction under Section 306 of the IPC, it is a well-established legal principle that the presence of clear mens rea - the intention to abet the act - is essential. Mere harassment, by itself, is not sufficient to find an accused guilty of abetting suicide," a Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Punjab Varale said discharging the trio from the charges under Section 306 of the IPC (abetment to suicide).
“In cases of alleged abetment of suicide, there must be concrete proof of either direct or indirect acts of incitement that led to the suicide. Mere allegations of harassment are insufficient to establish guilt. For a conviction, there must be evidence of a positive act by the accused, closely linked to the time of the incident, that compelled or drove the victim to commit suicide,” the top court said in its December 10 verdict. The verdict comes at a time when the wife and in-laws of Bengaluru techie Atul Subhash have been booked for allegedly abetting his suicide.
According to Section 306 of the IPC, “If any person commits suicide, whoever abets the commission of such suicide, shall be punished with imprisonment
of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.” “On a careful and close consideration of the facts and the material on record in the present case and in light of the law laid down by this court regarding Section 306, IPC, there appears no proximate link between the alleged facts, instances of harassment and her subsequent death by hanging,” the top court said.
“Mere harassment and such issues between the wife and her husband along with the in-laws do not appear to create a scenario where she was left with no option other than to end her life. There is, therefore, absence of mens rea (intention) to instigate suicide of the deceased person,” the Bench held. The woman had committed suicide after 12 years of marriage, it noted.
Continued from Page 3...
After winning the match, Gukesh said he dreamt of winning the world chess title in 2013 when Viswanathan Anand, his Vishy sir, lost to Magnus Carlsen. “In 2013 I watched Vishy sir lose. The title was taken away from India. I wanted to be in the same glass box (soundproof glass cabin or Fishtank, slang for where players compete for the chess championship) and bring back the title. That has been my dream for the last 10 years or so: to be in the glass box. And my best moment, before this, was when I entered the glass box for the first game.” Continuing with
his aggression, novelty and display of guts and nerves throughout the championship, Gukesh kept pressing for a win in a Rook-Bishop pawn endgame theoretically drawn at the grandmaster level. Ding, who had been exchanging pieces throughout the game in an attempt to force a draw in the last game of the 14-round classical format before the rapid and blitz tiebreaks, blinked under pressure and committed a blunder on move 55 when he went for a Rook trade.
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved two bills, including one to amend the Constitution to implement "one nation, one election", and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing winter session, sources said.
As of now, the Cabinet has given its nod to draft legislations to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies only, sources said.
While a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind had also proposed holding the municipality and panchayat polls along with the national and state elections in a phased manner, the Cabinet has decided to stay away, "as of now", from the manner in which local body elections are conducted. The Constitution amendment bill to hold simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will not require ratification by at least 50 per cent of the states, sources noted.
Another Constitution bill proposed by the Kovind panel was aimed at creating provisions to hold simultaneous elections to municipalities and panchayats, along with the elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, by inserting a new Article 324A.
Supreme Court stays surveys on places of worship
In an important order, the Supreme Court on Thursday restrained trial courts across India from registering fresh suits and ordering surveys or passing any effective and final orders with regard to religious character of existing religious structures in already pending suits.
"As the matter is sub judice before this court, we deem it fit to direct that no fresh suits shall be registered or proceedings be ordered. In the pending suits, courts would not pass any effective order or final orders,” a three-judge Special Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said.
“When a matter is pending before us, is it just and fair for any other court to examine it?” asked the Bench – which also included Justice PV Sanjay Kumar and Justice KV Viswanathan. The Bench, however, refused to stay the proceedings in 22 suits already pending with regard to 10 places of worship/mosques/dargahs.
Amid repeated interjections by senior lawyers representing various parties for and against the Act, the Bench clarified that it was examining the validity as well as ambit of the 1991 law. "The matter is sub judice. No further suits cannot be
Breaking a long dry spell, plain areas in Kashmir received the season's first snow on Thursday. In other northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi cold weather conditions prevailed while rain lashed parts of south India. While there was no snow in Srinagar, the plains of Shopian, Pulwama and Baramulla, as well as the upper areas of Anantnag, Budgam and Bandipora received light snow. The higher reaches of the valley, including the tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Tangmarg, Gurez
registered till we hear and dispose of the case," the top court emphasised.
“When the Supreme Court has laid down the law in a five-judge Bench composition, then lower courts can’t wrestle it out with the Supreme Court. That is why proceedings need to be stayed,” it said.
The top court’s order means that in pending suits regarding Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque dispute, Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute at Mathura, Sambhal Jama Masjid, Bhojshala and Ajmer Sharif dargah disputes, courts cannot pass any effective or final orders, including those for survey.
and the Zojila Pass, witnessed light to moderate snow. Due to accumulation of snow along the Zojila Pass, the Srinagar-Leh highway was closed for traffic, while the Bandipora-Gurez road and Mughal Road were also shut, officials said.
Delhi recorded its coldest December day in the last three years on Thursday as the mercury dropped to 4.5 degrees Celsius. Cold wave conditions were observed at isolated places in Delhi, including Ayanagar and Pusa, where the temperatures dropped to 3.8 and 3.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.
