Surrey Hindu temple-goers call for police suspensions after protest arrest
A Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C., is calling for the suspension of police officers involved in what it calls “unjustified violence against temple devotees” during unrest on Sunday in which three people were arrested.
The arrests outside the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Hindu Temple came as protesters calling for a separate Sikh nation called Khalistan had demonstrated outside the temple on Sunday during a visit by Indian consular officials.
The temple issued a statement on social media to condemn what it called an “attack on the Hindu temple by extremist elements,” saying it
underscores the “urgent need” for government officials to stop escalating violence.
Videos posted on social media show two men being restrained and held to the ground by officers outside the temple.
Surrey RCMP said officers were deployed to the temple around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday to maintain public safety during the consular visit, “when hundreds of protesters arrived.”
They say violence broke out and, while no one was injured, three people were arrested. Videos show both RCMP and Surrey Police Service officers in attendance. Continued on Page 10...
South Asian man who raped a teen jailed for three years
A 56-year-old B.C. man who confessed to documenting the sexual assault of a teenage girl and told the court he didn’t need consent to have
sex with women, has been jailed after a judge rejected his request to have the case tossed over court delays.
Prakash Lekhraj, who shared images of the rape in a group chat and told members that the girl “took it like a champ,” was convicted of sexual assault and making or publishing child pornography in a November 2023 trial.
The B.C. prosecution service says he’s been sentenced to more than three years in prison for the crime, details of which were recently made public in a decision from provincial court Judge Ellen Gordon on Sept. 18. Continued on Page 7...
Mother can't appeal Canadian jail sentence from India, court decides
A woman sentenced to six months less a day in jail and three years of probation for lying to a Surrey passport officer and trying to set up a falsified passport for her infant cannot pursue an appeal of her conviction and sentence from India, a superior court has decided.
Justice Joyce DeWitt-Van Oosten, of the Court of Appeal for British Columbia, denied Sapna Kapoor's request to have her appeal heard from India, where she now lives, finding Kapoor hasn't pursued sufficient steps to return to Canada. Continued on Page 3...
BC bird flu case confirmed, Health Canada says vaccines ready
India to pursue extradition of Arsh Dalla with Canada
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it expected that Canada ‘extradite or deport’ Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist in India.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, while reacting to media reports about Dalla’s arrest in Canada, said, “It is expected that he will be extradited or deported to face justice in India.”
Jaiswal, in view of the recent arrest, said, “Our agencies will be following up on an extradition request.”
Dalla has criminal record in India and is involved in similar illegal activities in Canada.
Jaiswal said media reports are circulating since November 10 on the arrest in Canada of proclaimed
offender Arsh Dalla. Canadian print and visual media have widely reported on the arrest. “We understand that the Ontario court has listed the case for hearing,” he said. Dalla is a proclaimed offender in over 50 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and terrorist acts, including terror financing. In May 2022, a Red Corner Notice was issued against him. He was designated in India as an individual terrorist in 2023.
In July 2023, the Government of India had requested the Canadian government for his provisional arrest. This was declined. Additional information was provided in the case.
Canada’s first human case of avian influenza in a B.C. teenager has the country’s health officials on high alert. Continued on Page 2...
BC bird flu case confirmed, Health Canada says vaccines ready
Continued from Page 1...
The Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed the teen, who remains in critical condition, was infected with avian influenza. This marks the first domestically acquired case of the H5N1 virus in the country. B.C. health officials had initially treated the case as presumptive.
Experts continue to investigate how the teen contracted the virus and are screening others who may have been in close contact.
So far, no one else has tested positive for the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu.
Health Canada also says it has authorized three influenza vaccines that could be used if bird flu became a pandemic. The federal government also has an agreement with vaccine
manufacturer GSK for domestic vaccine production that could be accelerated if needed, the Public Health Agency of Canada told The Canadian Press in an email.
There are currently no indications that the virus would spark a pandemic. Experts say human-to-human transmission of H5N1 — a strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza — is rare, with no evidence of sustained transmission.
“This is not a virus that transmits well to humans,” said Dr. Brian Conway. “It transmits even less well from one human to another, if it even transmits at all,” the infectious disease specialist added.
Conway says, while a pandemic might seem unlikely, health authorities are — and should be — ready for any scenario.
Former BC premier John Horgan dead at 65
Former British Columbia premier and ambassador to Germany John Horgan has died at the age of 65, after his third battle with cancer.
According to a statement posted to social media by Horgan’s former press secretary, the Horgan family says their “hearts are broken to announce the passing of our beloved Husband, Father, and Friend, John Horgan.”
“John passed away peacefully this morning at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria,” the family explained.
“The well-being of British Columbia and everyone in it was everything to him. He was surrounded by family, friends and love in his final days. Ellie and the rest of John’s family ask for privacy during this time,” they said.
after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Horgan was remembered by those across the aisle, and from around the country on Tuesday. Social media lit up with stories about Horgan and condolences to his family.
Horgan served as B.C.’s New Democrat premier for five years before stepping down in 2022, then was appointed ambassador last year.
In June, Horgan announced he was on leave
In a statement, current Premier David Eby shared that the news of Horgan’s passing “leaves us with heavy hearts.”
“His many accomplishments as premier will be felt for years and generations to come. His achievements are too numerous to mention, but he was a consequential premier at a critical time in our history. He encouraged all of us to strive to be our better selves,” he continued.
“We share our sadness and grief with his beloved wife, Ellie, with whom he shared 45 years of adventure. It was not time enough. Ellie is in our thoughts and prayers, as are his sons Evan and Nate, the rest of his family, and his many, many friends.
Unions challenging government intervention in major rail, ports labour disputes
Three unions are now challenging the federal government’s recent decisions to intervene in major labour disputes, saying it’s undermining workers’ rights.
The union representing locked-out dock workers in Montreal was the latest Wednesday to say it plans to challenge Ottawa’s intervention in court, not long after the union representing locked-out workers in B.C. announced its intention to fight back.
“We will fight this order in the courts. We will fight the arbitrated forced contract in
the courts,” said Frank Morena, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514, which represents the workers in B.C., in a press release Tuesday.
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon stepped in on Tuesday to get ports in British Columbia and Montreal moving again after employers locked workers out, directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board to order the resumption of all operations and move both sets of talks to binding arbitration.
Mother can't appeal Canadian sentence from India, court decides
Continued from Page 1...
Justices Lauri Ann Fenlon and Mary Newbury concurred. A jury convicted Sapna Kapoor, a 44-year-old Indian national with a master’s degree in business administration, of attempting to utter a forged passport application and making the false statement in late September and early October 2017. She was convicted in 2021 after being tried before Justice Murray Blok and the jury in in 22-day trial at B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster.
The Crown sought a jail term of six to 12 months in jail followed by probation conditions “crafted to minimize the risk of unauthorized removal of the child from Canada,” Blok noted in 2021. The maximum sentence for attempting to set up a fraudulent passport is five years in prison and two years for knowingly lying to a passport officer, and “these maximums do demonstrate the seriousness with which Parliament views these types of offences.”
The court heard Kapoor had been married for 16 months before separating from her husband and in that time they had a son. Blok described her marriage as “difficult and fractious.”
On Sept. 27, 2017 Kapoor went to the passport office in Surrey and presented a passport application for the child, containing a signature purported to be that of the father. Blok noted this was flagged by an alert system the father had initiated with Passport Canada “and so the application was not processed in the end, which explains the charge and ultimate conviction for attempting to utter a forged document.”
A few days later, a passport officer phoned Kapoor to do a parental verification check and she told the officer the father wasn’t available because he had left the country. “Ms. Kapoor made the statement for the purpose of procuring a passport for their son; the statement was false; and Ms. Kapoor knew it was false,” Blok noted in his 2021 reasons for judgment. The father, Sonam Makkar, provided the court with a victim impact statement.
“To summarize it very briefly,” Blok explained, “he said he has lived in constant fear that Ms. Kapoor might try to abduct their child back to India, a country which is not a signatory to the Hague Convention.”
Blok rejected the defence's request for house arrest, finding Kapoor’s “element of planning and implementation” aggravating.
“She claims to have acted out of motherly love and that there was no risk of child abduction, but she has failed to recognize that her conduct reasonably gave rise to those very fears.” Blok concluded that “only actual jail time would meet the sentencing objective of specific deterrence.” Kapoor's probation conditions required her not to take her son within a two-kilometre radius of Vancouver International Airport or within 100 metres of the Canada-U.S. border when he is in her custody or care.
"If she succeeds in the appeal from conviction and a new trial is ordered, another trial likely cannot occur without Ms. Kapoor returning. Given the litigation history, I am not confident she will do so," Dewitt-Van Oosten decided.
South Asian police officer sexually assaulted colleague, but police group chat targeted victim
When a former Vancouver Police constable testified at the criminal trial of a colleague who sexually assaulted her, she says she knew it could ruin her career.
"no way" her case would be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jansen said his decision accounted for his experience with a police culture of treating officers who testify against each other as "rats."
The woman, who can't be named due to a publication ban, found out months after the May 2021 trial that text messages detailing her testimony were circulating among fellow officers, casting doubt on her story and whether the case could be proven.
"I struggled to put into words to describe just how devastating those were," she said in an interview. "They were unbelievable."
She filed a complaint with the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner against the officer believed to have authored the texts, but it was found "unsubstantiated."
Now, another officer who distributed the texts to Vancouver police has been found to have committed "discreditable conduct" by sharing the "disrespectful" commentary on her court testimony.
The decision against Narinder Dosanjh, authored by now-retired New Westminster police chief Dave Jansen, was obtained by The Canadian Press and includes the running commentary on the woman's testimony — apparently written by someone inside the courtroom.
It called her a "bad drunk" and said there was
Former Vancouver constable Jagraj Roger Berar was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to a year in jail for sexually assaulting the officer, who said the police department never treated her as "a victim of crime."
"I have never been treated as a victim of harassment, sexual harassment, or bullying in that workplace," she said. "I have never been treated as anything except a problem that might tarnish their reputation."
Jansen's decision, dated Oct. 11, said that the commentary in a Vancouver police group chat appeared "supportive" of Berar and reflected "all-too-common myths" about women who make sexual assault allegations.
While Jansen found Dosanjh committed discreditable conduct by sharing the chats, the complaint against a more-senior Vancouver officer who was inside the courtroom, and who the victim and other officers believed wrote the commentary, were not substantiated.
Jansen's decision said he would accept submissions before deciding how Dosanjh should be reprimanded.
Why Canada could become the next nuclear energy 'superpower'
Uranium is making a comeback thanks to a renewed focus on nuclear energy as a climate crisis solution. Canada, rich with high-grade deposits, could become a nuclear “superpower”. But can its potential be realised?
Leigh Curyer had been working in uranium mining for nearly two decades when he noticed a striking shift. In 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan badly damaged the world's view of nuclear power, and the price for the heavy metal - a critical component for nuclear fuel - cratered. But the last five years has seen a reversal, with the global price of uranium spiking by more than 200%, becoming one of this year's top-performing commodities.
Mr Curyer, an Australian-born businessman, credits this to a changing attitude that began soon after Microsoft founder Bill Gates touted nuclear
energy as “ideal for dealing with climate change” in 2018. Four years later, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson pushed forward a policy of generating at least 25% of the country’s energy from nuclear. Shortly after, the European Union voted to declare nuclear energy climate-friendly. These events were “catalytic” for the uranium industry and a turning point for Mr Curyer's company NexGen, which is behind the largest in-development uranium mine in Canada. His phone began to ring with calls from investors worldwide - something that “had never happened in my previous 17 years in the industry”, he said. NexGen, whose project is located in Canada's remote, uranium-rich Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan, is now worth nearly $4bn (£2.98bn), despite the fact that the mine won’t be commercially operational until at least 2028. Continued on Next Page...
Federal government finances $574M for rental home construction in Vancouver
The federal government is providing more than $574 million in financing to help build about 950 rental homes in Vancouver.
The government says in a news release that a project on 42nd Avenue is one of four locations receiving funds through the Apartment Loan Construction Program, which offers repayable low-interest loans to encourage more rentals builds for middle-class Canadians.
It says the site, which is being built by Marcon Developments Ltd., has received $110 million through the fund to build 211 apartments in a mix of sizes, including two-bedroom units.
The government says the location is within the Oakridge town centre and is within walking distance to a Canada Line station.
Three other sites in Vancouver are also receiving loans from the program, which includes $185.4 million for 1099 Harwood Street, $184 million for 1066 Harwood Street and $94 million
for 1317 Richards Street. Harjit Sajjan, minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, says the need to build more housing is becoming increasingly crucial as the city’s population grows, and these projects are an “essential part of the solution.”
“When it is complete, these four projects will offer much-needed housing for families and individuals that are close to jobs, services and amenities in the community,” he says in the release.
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
Why Canada could become the next nuclear energy 'superpower'
Continued from Previous Page...
If fully cleared by regulators, NexGen’s project alone could push Canada to become the world’s largest producer of uranium over the coming decade, knocking Kazakhstan out of the number one spot. Other companies have also rushed to Saskatchewan to capitalise on the boom, starting their own exploration projects in the region, while existing players reopened dormant mines. With its rich resources, Canada’s mining companies see the country playing a major role in the future of nuclear energy, meeting a demand for uranium that is poised to rise after nearly two dozen countries committed in COP28 climate conference to tripling their nuclear energy output by 2050. Nuclear energy is often hailed for its low carbon emissions compared to other sources like natural gas or coal. The World Nuclear Association estimates that 10% of power generated worldwide comes from nuclear sources, while more than 50% is still generated by gas or coal.
At this year's COP29, the focus has been on ramping up funding for nuclear projects in the wake of a recent UN report indicating that current policies and investments fall short of what is needed to slow global temperature rise.
Canada’s role in supplying the commodity is made more urgent by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly for the US, which had relied heavily on Russian-supplied enriched uranium to fire up its commercial nuclear reactors.
Mr Curyer believes his mine could prove to be “absolutely critical” to America’s nuclear energy future, as the US is now hunting for alternatives to Russia, including by ramping up exploration on its own soil.
Uranium can be found around the world, though it is heavily present in Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan.
But what makes Canada’s Athabasca Region unique is that its uranium is especially high grade, said Markus Piro, a professor of nuclear engineering at McMaster University.
Canada has set strict rules for the sale of its uranium to other countries, Prof Piro said, and mandates it only be used for nuclear power generation.
The country is also referred to as a “tier-one nuclear nation”, he said, due to its capability to produce nuclear fuel from the mining to the manufacturing stage.
Once mined, uranium is milled to produce what is called calcined yellowcake. It can then be enriched, if needed, at facilities overseas to create fuel for nuclear reactors.
Foreign
Arthur Cajes is one of many foreign workers who paid $8,000 to an immigration consultancy in an effort to work at a Canadian convenience store. But when he arrived, the promised job didn’t exist. He’s part of a years-long class action lawsuit making its way through the BC Supreme Court. The workers won a small victory this week when a judge decided the chain of convenience stores that promised them work could be liable to pay damages along with the immigration agency.
Cajes was working in Dubai in 2012 when he attended a job fair looking for foreign workers to fill positions in Canada hosted by Overseas Immigration Services Inc. He ended up spending thousands for a chance to reunite his family in Canada, according to the decision posted online November 4.
Cajes lived in Dubai with his wife while
supporting their two children in the Philippines. They had no hope of making a permanent home in the United Arab Emirates, but coming to Canada offered them a chance to one day get permanent residency.
Overseas Immigration Services Inc.’s flyers advertised Canadian jobs in truck driving, bricklaying, carpentry, mechanics, and food services. Cajes paid Overseas $2,000 to enter the application process, and met with two representatives of Mac’s Convenience Stores and Subway. Mac’s stores have been re-branded as Circle K in Western Canada, and some locations contain Subway sandwich counters. Cajes impressed the interviewers and was sent an
employment contract in April 2013 that was signed by Mac’s senior recruiting and training manager, Geoff Higuchi. The contract said Cajes would work as a supervisor at a Mac’s location in Calgary, earning $13 per hour and working a 37.5-hour week. He signed the
contract and used it and Mac’s labour market opinion document to apply for his Canadian work visa under the Temporary Foreign Worker program (TFW). The TFW program allows workers into Canada to work in specific jobs for specific employers. The visa came through in October 2013, at which point Overseas told Cajes his second payment was due. His wife took out a loan for the $6,000 Overseas asked for. The company then booked him on a flight to Vancouver.
Cajes landed at Vancouver International Airport on February 16, 2024. An Overseas worker met him and took him to accommodation in Surrey where Cajes lived with several other workers in housing he says was overcrowded.
Phillip Birch operates earth-cutting equipment in a tiny space more than 40 metres below the surface of the Fraser River.
To get to his seat in what’s called a tunnel boring machine, or TBM, the operator drops down a massive vertical shaft in a tiny elevator near an industrial area in Surrey.
From there, he travels in a small train through the underwater tunnel to just beyond the midpoint between Surrey and New Westminster.
Metro Vancouver is building a new water supply tunnel and this is how far along this one named Annacis is now.
The location is about 60 per cent of the way to the final completion of a 2.3-kilometre-long tunnel, which crosses under the Fraser River and will swing underground to another vertical shaft site near 11th Street in New West.
The shaft on the Surrey side was built in September and the project is slated to take another two years.
“We’re out in the middle of the river now, so we’re doing quite well,” said Birch from the TBM. He is in the control area, explaining how the
machine initially had to screw through glacial rock at the river’s edge near Surrey, but now is moving more quickly as it goes through much softer silt and sand deposits as well as marine clay. The machine dumps the grey wet muck into carts that run along a track back to the vertical shaft where it’s hoisted back to ground level so it can be discarded. Right behind this, workers in a very cramped space fit together prefabricated concrete parts by hand to form a ring and the edge of the tunnel. The steps are repeated over and over again. On most days, they’re extending the tunnel by about 20 metres, but some days, there can be a mechanical SNAFU and they only get two metres done.
Birch, who is a TBM operator for TraylorAecon, a joint-venture contractor, keeps his eye on range screens and measurements.
“I have got to keep the ground pressure even because you don’t want any more (debris) coming out here, but you don’t want to be pushing any into it,” he said. On a recent day, Metro Vancouver took reporters for a tour of the underwater tunnel site.
Environment Canada is warning drivers who intend to travel Highway 3 from the Paulson Summit and Kootenay Pass about hazardous conditions due to “rapidly accumulating snow.”
It says a Pacific frontal system will bring up to 50 centimetres of snow before Thursday night.
About 15 cm of snow is also expected in the North Peace River region, where a separate snowfall warning has been issued, before easing overnight.
The weather office says that same system has also prompted rainfall warnings for northern sections of Metro Vancouver and Howe Sound,
while a special weather statement along the west coast of Vancouver Island from Tofino south to Clo-oose warns of waves of up to four metres.
It says water levels could reach 60 cm above the normal highest tide and may push the water into low-lying areas and could sweep beachgoers into the ocean.
The latest advisories come on the heels of a windstorm that knocked out power to thousands on the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island overnight Wednesday, while also causing numerous ferry cancellations.
All 93 B.C. MLAs have been sworn-in. Let the 43rd parliament begin
After several weeks of recounts and delay, all 93 members of the B.C. legislature have been sworn in by Clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd and are ready to begin, or take back up, their duties as representatives for the people of British Columbia.
On Tuesday, the Greens and the Conservatives were sworn in as the opposition parties, while the NDP had to wait until Wednesday morning for their moment. Full of ceremony and tradition, each party put their own little spin on the proceedings, although each member had to either swear or affirm their Oath of Allegiance to the current monarch, King Charles III. The government caucus ceremony Wednesday was overshadowed by the death of former NDP premier John Horgan the day before, and Songhees Elder Butch Dick recognized his passing at the outset of the ceremony.
Langford-Highlands MLA Ravi Parmar, who considered Horgan to have been a mentor to him since he was in high school, wore a Victoria Shamrocks jersey in recognition of Horgan’s favourite sports team.
In speaking to his caucus, Premier David Eby said it was good to see so many family
South
and friends of his members in the audience, including Bowinn Ma’s almost one-year-old daughter Azalea who sat on her lap throughout the ceremony.
“If there was a message that British Columbians sent us here with it is that it’s not about us, it’s about the communities that we’re here to serve. It’s about their priorities, about our health-care system, housing, strong and safe communities, making sure we’re building a strong economy.
Wearing a mile-wide smile, Conservative Leader John Rustad told reporters that he has 44 caucus members who are raring to go, including 36 newcomers to the legislature.
“We’ve got the largest new influx of MLAs, I think, in B.C.’s history,” he said, before the ceremony. “I think we’ve got between 250 and 300 guests coming down for the swearing-in ceremony. So it’s gonna be exciting. And of course, we’ve got a celebration as well for Á’a:líya Warbus, who’s the first Stó:lō Nation person to be elected.” That celebration for Warbus was led by her father, former Lt.-Gov. Steven Point, who also spoke to the Conservative caucus before their swearing in.
Point talked about carving the canoe that rests in the Lower Rotunda of the legislature and urged all members to paddle together toward the goal of making the province a better place at a time when there are numerous issues facing B.C., from wildfires and floods made worse by climate change to social issues such as homelessness and the toxic drug crisis.
Conservative Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko, who was first elected in a 2022 byelection in Surrey South, said this was her first time doing the full swearing-in ceremony and that while she might not be new to the legislature, it was still an extremely exciting moment.
Asian man who raped a teen and 'bragged' that she
'took
it like a champ' jailed three years
Continued from Page 1...
“In the early morning hours of August 23, 2020, Prakash Lekhraj sexually assaulted the complainant, then a teenaged girl, by, among other acts, both vaginal and anal penetration. He photographed her and via a group text message bragged to his friends,” reads Gordon’s ruling.
During his three-day trial, Lekhraj admitted to the assault and told “the Court that he never needs to seek the consent of a female to have sexual relations with her.”
Lekhraj has since appealed his convictions, his second attempt to escape prison time.
His first came nearly five months after the trial ended and days before sentencing this April, when his new lawyer filed a Jordan application,
arguing that too much time had passed since he was charged and the conclusion of his trial.
On the same day her ruling came down, Gordon sentenced Lekhraj to three years for the sexual assault and three months for the child pornography charge, to be served consecutively, according to the B.C. prosecution service.
He’s also under a 10-year firearms ban and will be listed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years.
As reported by BurnabyNow.com, the Crown was seeking a sentence in the range of four to five years for the 56-year-old who also goes by Paul Lekhraj and has a criminal record that includes a conviction for living off the avails of prostitution in 1995.
B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service says a man from Abbotsford has pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in black bear paws.
A statement from the service says Hong Tao Yang entered his pleas in a Port Coquitlam courtroom on Wednesday, where he was ordered to pay a penalty and victim surcharge worth a total of $8,625.
The service says it began an investigation into the illegal trafficking of wildlife parts after receiving a tip from the public about someone looking to buy bear paws.
It says Yang also pleaded guilty to a separate count of trafficking in wildlife, with the offences all taking place in Maple Ridge between October 2022 and October 2023.
The service says bear paws and other parts
may be sought for medicinal purposes. Depending on the species and the part of the animal, it says prices on the illicit market can vary from several hundred to several thousand dollars.
APPLIANCES REPAIR SERVICE
South Edmonton massage therapist charged with sexual
Police say a massage therapist in south Edmonton has been charged with four counts of sexual assault, and authorities believe there could be more victims.
The Edmonton Police Service says Satish Poojari, 49, was arrested following a Sexual Assault Section investigation that began in August.
“While this investigation was taking place, three additional complainants reported similar concerns involving the same male RMT (registered massage therapist),” EPS allege in a news release.
The accused’s RMT licence has been cancelled by the industry’s governing body, according to
assault
police. His next court appearance is Dec. 12.
Police believe he may still be practising massage therapy in Edmonton; they are encouraging any other complainants to come forward.
“If you have been victimized by Satish Poojari, we are hopeful that you will come forward and report it to police,” said A/Det. Candace Werestiuk with the EPS Sexual Assault Section. “We believe there may be other complainants, and we want to check on their wellbeing and assure them that they will have access to appropriate supports.”
Potential victims are asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567.
BC government wants to keep $1 million cash found after rental car crash
The B.C. government wants to keep more than $1 million found after an Edmonton man crashed his rental car near Clearwater in May.
But driver Mohamad Samed Roumiah is fighting back, saying that he was transporting the large amount of cash as part of his duties for an Ontario company called Green Zone Finance.
“The RCMP located a broken red suitcase near the collision site,” the B.C. director of civil forfeiture said in his lawsuit. “The suitcase contained the money. The money was not packaged in accordance with standard banking practices.”
Man arrested after allegedly waving knife at Vancouver elementary school
Police in Vancouver say a man was arrested after allegedly waving a knife while on elementary school grounds last week.
Roumiah was driving on Highway 5 close to Clearwater on May 26, when his rental car collided with another vehicle. He was injured and taken to hospital.
The cash, which totalled $1,012,790 was in shopping bags and of varying denominations bundled with rubber bands and “with alternate-facing bills.”
Police seized the money, which later tested positive for cocaine contamination.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says officers were called to Crosstown Elementary School in the city’s downtown just before 3 p.m. on Friday.
“The school grounds were packed with parents and children who were leaving classes for the day,” police said in a statement Tuesday.
Const. Tania Visintin tells 1130 NewsRadio that the suspect was already under conditions not to be in possession of knives.
She says the man was taken to jail and will be facing charges.
Mounties make arrests, seize firearms, drugs from Mexico cartel-linked Surrey group
The RCMP has arrested three suspected cocaine smugglers who are part of a Surrey-based criminal organization linked to the notorious Sinaloa cartel in Mexico.
Cpl. Arash Seyed, of the federal and serious organized crime unit, said at a news conference Wednesday that his agency had successfully “disrupted” the organization’s plan to start largescale cocaine importation into Canada. So far, no charges have been laid and the three men have been released as the investigation continues.
The trio was picked up Sept. 23 at its “heavily fortified headquarters” in a residential neighbourhood, Seyed said, though he wouldn’t provide a location or release more specifics about the suspects.
“During the warrant execution, investigators discovered the residence to be surrounded by compound fencing, steel gates, and razor wires. The entry doors were fully covered by metal shutters, with the interior and exterior of the residence being equipped with video and audio monitoring systems,” he said.
Inside, officers found “23 firearms, several thousand rounds of ammunition, multi-kilos of illicit drugs, and other items” which were on display at the news conference.
Seyed held up a metal box with a lid embossed with the Apple logo and said it was a cocaine press “used to make what they call bricks or birds.”
“As you can see, this criminal operation was planning large scale distribution.”
Don't take the law into your own hands, warn Squamish RCMP
Police in Squamish are warning the public not to engage in vigilantism after being alerted to social media posts claiming to expose suspects in recent investigations.
The RCMP issued a statement on Wednesday saying none of the people in recent photos posted online has been identified as a threat to public safety, and said police are doing everything possible to protect the community.
Const. Kelly Wu said police are were aware of “recent concerns circulating on social media regarding public safety within our community.”
Wu said police investigate all reports of possible criminality, and anyone with concerns about suspicious activity should call police.
“While some of our work may not be immediately visible, we are continuously active in our efforts to protect the community,” Staff Sgt. Gareth Bradley said in the statement. “This includes patrolling neighbourhoods,
following up on investigations, working with community partners, and addressing emerging issues.”
“Public involvement and vigilance play an important role in our community, but we must remind residents to avoid taking matters into their own hands,” said Bradley.
“Engaging in acts of vigilantism places individuals at personal risk and has targeted innocent people in this community. Vigilantism may also inadvertently interfere with ongoing investigations, jeopardizing the safety of others and potentially compromising the legal process.
“Public safety is best upheld when citizens and law enforcement work together in a spirit of trust and collaboration.”
Bradley insisted “there is no current threat to public safety. Our officers have thoroughly assessed the situation and determined that there is no immediate danger to residents.”
Semi-trailer driver fined $368 for crash that completely blocked Highway 1 in Chilliwack
An off-duty B.C. RCMP highway patrol officer gave evidence that helped lead to charges against a semi-trailer driver accused of causing the crash during last Friday’s morning rush that blocked the Trans-Canada Highway in Chilliwack.
Investigators have determined that an Alberta-based semi-trailer lost control as it was descending a westbound curve on Hwy. 1 shortly before 6 a.m. on Nov. 8 near Annis Road.
“The semi-trailer flipped over and came to rest with its power unit blocking the eastbound lanes, while the trailer blocked the westbound
lanes,” said the B.C. highway patrol in an update on Wednesday. A westbound compact car hit the debris field but no one was injured. Hwy. 1 remained closed for most of the day.
The first RCMP officer at the scene was offduty, but he made the crash site safe, took notes on what he saw and guided co-workers to the collision. He then left to get into uniform and returned to help.
The truck driver, a 28-year-old Alberta man, was issued a ticket for driving without due care and attention. He will be fined $368 and receive six demerit points on his licence.
Surrey Hindu temple-goers call for police suspensions after protest arrest
Continued from Page 1...
Asked about the temple’s allegations of unjustified police violence, the RCMP said Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, the officer in charge of Surrey RCMP, “continues to meet with local temple leaders to address their concerns.”
There was similar unrest at a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont., on Sunday, that prompted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn what he called a “deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada,” and “cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats.”
Modi said Monday that he expects the Canadian government to “ensure justice” in the case. The B.C. government did not
immediately respond to requests for comment, but Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke called the incident in Surrey “deeply disturbing” and said she had reached out to B.C. Premier David Eby.
“I am disappointed and upset by this incident. This is not who we are in Surrey,” she said in the statement Monday.
“I am speaking with all parties involved and I call for the Surrey community to remain calm.”
The Khalsa Diwan Society, which runs the Ross Street Gurdwara in Vancouver, says in court documents that it expected “intense protests” at two consular camps in light of the RCMP allegations. The second camp is scheduled for Nov. 16.
Former prime minister Bainimarama released
Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has been released from prison today.
A statement from the Fiji Corrections Service said that this is in accordance with Section 46 (3) of the Corrections Act.
“This decision follows a comprehensive review of his application, which was processed in line with the relevant legal provisions governing early release and supervised reintegration,” FCS said.
“Section 46 (3) of the Corrections Act allows for early release of inmates based on specific criteria that ensure both the security of the community and the facilitation of an inmates reintegration.
release, and supervisory measures in place, in accordance with the guidelines established under FCS regulations.”
The Fiji Corrections Service said it would continue to oversee Mr Bainimarama’s reintegration to ensure compliance with all conditions associated with his early release.
“All requirements were rigorously assessed, including eligibility criteria, conditions for
“This decision reflects the commitment of the FCS to uphold the principles of justice, rehabilitation, and reintegration, as stipulated by the Corrections Act,” FCS said.
“We thank the public for their continued support of the Fiji Corrections Service and our efforts to maintain transparency, accountability, and public safety in the administration of all correctional policies.”
Prasad highlights urgency of climate mobility solutions
It is vital to ensure that the discussions at COP29 set the foundation for a world where every community can thrive despite their challenges.
This has been highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad during a high-level session on “Pacific Youth on Climate Mobility” at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Professor Prasad says the discussions at the Climate Mobility Pavilion are crucial as millions are at risk of displacement from rising sea levels, severe weather, and other climate threats. He adds that this is not a distant threat but a daily reality for communities in low-lying nations and vulnerable regions.
Professor Prasad says through international
cooperation and innovative solutions, we must work to preserve cultural heritage, protect maritime zones, and adopt frameworks ensuring continuity of statehood and rights in the face of existential climate threats.
He adds that young people are on the frontlines as those being impacted and, most importantly, as agents of change driving resilience and hope.
The DPM says that in Fiji he has seen leadership from young people as Fiji developed its Standard Operating Procedures for planned relocation, a process that guides the Fiji Government’s commitment to effectively respond to the increasing need for the relocation of its communities, driven by the impacts of climate change.
‘Critical issues still remain’
Many critical issues remain unresolved in Savusavu despite being brought to the attention of authorities, according to the Savusavu Town Council chairman Shankar Singh.
Mr Singh said faded crossings, damaged streetlights and inadequate public services have been ongoing for months, but little or no action has been taken.
“Despite many phone calls and letters written to them there has been no response,” Mr Singh said.
At a news conference, he said the issues which had been long-standing for years had caused problems in the town.
“The fading marks have caused traffic problems.
“We have informed the authorities and asked them to redo the road markings so that people know where to park,” Mr Singh.
He added that these issues had prevented investors from investing in the Northern town.
“We are just fed up with the authorities because the issues we’ve raised have not been taken seriously.”
He said the next step would be to raise it with Cabinet ministers if the issues remain unaddressed.
Questions sent to the Fiji Roads Authority remained unanswered when this edition went to print.
Call for more police visibility
The Labasa Chamber of Commerce is urging the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider recruiting special constables to increase street visibility during the festive season.
President Vinesh Dayal said they have had meetings with the Divisional Police Commissioner and the head of Community Policing.
Dayal said their discussions focused on how the chamber could offer support to police officers with a follow-up meeting scheduled for later this month to assess progress.
“We ask that your good office consider recruitment of special constables to increase visibility on our streets also the option we have is to, have the regular offices out of the
rural police posts deployed to the busy urban centers and the community, we could select a few members from the communities in the rural areas to work as special constables.” Dayal highlighted the importance of a collaborative approach to maintaining public safety as the community grows.
“I must assure you that despite the surge in burglaries and drug abuse, we stand united with you in this fight. Labasa has always been a haven. But as you all know with all the new developments Labasa is now seeing, there will come nuisance and criminal elements as a result of reverse migration or job opportunities it creates.”
The Police Force confirmed an integrated festive season operation will start this Friday to ensure the safety and security of all Fijians.
The accident near Vitogo, Lautoka between a bus and a twin-cab has resulted in the hospitalisation of 18 people, the Fiji Police Force has said.
Police said at around 2.45pm, along King’s Road, a 4 x 4 vehicle, pulled out Vitogo Road and collided with the said bus which was traveling from Lautoka towards Ba.
Due to the impact, the bus overturned sideways on the driver side.
The driver of the 4 x 4 vehicle is amongst the
people injured. Investigation into the incident continues.
BEST SERVICE AND MORTGAGE RATES
Toxic smog in Pakistan is so bad you can see it from space
Record-breaking levels of thick, toxic smog that have shrouded eastern Pakistan and northern India since last month can be seen in striking satellite imagery.
A huge cloud of gray smog blankets Pakistan’s Punjab province and stretches out east into India, over the capital New Delhi and beyond, satellite imagery from NASA Worldview shows.
The pollution has forced authorities in Pakistan to close schools and public spaces as the acrid smog threatens the health of tens of millions of people.
Images from the Pakistani cities of Lahore and Multan this weekend show the dark haze engulfing streets and blocking buildings from view.
Pollution in the region ramps up each winter, when an ominous yellow haze blankets the skies due to a combination of farmers burning agricultural waste, coal-fired power plants, traffic and windless days. Air quality worsens in the winter because colder and drier air traps pollution, rather than lifting it away, as warm air does when it rises.
Pakistan bans weddings, shuts schools as 15K taken ill in a day after AQI reaches 604 in Lahore
The toxic smog, which continues to grip Lahore and other parts of Pakistan, has worsened, with the city reporting over 15,000 cases of respiratory and viral infections in just 24 hours, Ary News reported.
According to Ary News, Lahore's hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering from dry cough, breathing difficulties, pneumonia, and chest infections.
The majority of cases were reported at major government hospitals, including Mayo Hospital (4,000+ patients), Jinnah Hospital (3,500 patients), Gangaram Hospital (3,000 patients), and Children's Hospital (2,000+ patients).
As per Ary News, medical experts in Pakistan have warned that children and patients with
pre-existing conditions, such as asthma and heart disease, are particularly vulnerable to the smog's effects. "Special children are severely affected," said Ashraf Zia.
The smog has led to an increase in various viral diseases, including pneumonia, chest infections, and skin diseases. "Over 10 viral diseases are currently prevalent in Lahore," he said. "On November 12, the Punjab government website advised that the AQI for the province over last 24 hours had averaged 604--well into the Hazardous range", NASA MODIS said.
Speaking on the thick layer of pollution, NASA MODIS reported, "The tan haze is so thick that it completely obscures the landscape of Pakistan from view.
India's Capital Chokes on Toxic Smog 50 Times Above WHO Limit
Residents of India's capital New Delhi choked in a blanketing toxic smog Wednesday as worsening air pollution surged past 50 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum.
Many in the city cannot afford air filters, nor do they have homes they can effectively seal from the misery of foul smelling air blamed for thousands of premature deaths.
Cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds trap deadly pollutants each winter, stretching from mid-October until at least January.
At dawn on Wednesday, "hazardous" pollutant levels in parts of the sprawling urban area of more
than 30 million people topped 806 micrograms per cubic metre, according to monitoring firm IQAir. That is more than 53 times the World Health Organization recommended daily maximum of fine particulate matter – dangerous cancer-causing microparticles known as PM2.5 pollutants that enter the bloodstream through the lungs. By midday, when air usually is at its best, it eased to about 25-35 times above danger levels, depending on different districts.
The city is blanketed in acrid smog each year, primarily blamed on stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring regions to clear their fields for ploughing, as well as factories and traffic fumes.
Ban on construction, restriction on buses as air quality in Delhi remains severe
With pollution reaching alarming levels, the central pollution watchdog imposed restrictions under the third stage of the GRAP in Delhi-NCR on Thursday, including a ban on construction and demolition activities.
The air quality in the capital remained in the "severe" category for the second consecutive day, prompting authorities to impose stringent antipollution measures. The restrictions will come into force from Friday.
The decision was taken by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
Under the third stage of the Graded Response
Action Plan (GRAP), all inter-state buses from NCR states -- except electric vehicles, CNG vehicles and BS-VI diesel buses -- will be prohibited from entering Delhi, alongside a stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, and daily water sprinkling on major roads.
Under the third stage of the GRAP, there would be restrictions on the plying of BS-lll petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in Delhi and the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar.
Passenger held for hoax bomb call on Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight
An IndiGo flight from Nagpur to Kolkata with 187 passengers on board was forced to make an emergency landing at the Raipur airport on Thursday morning after one of the passengers told the crew there was a "bomb" on the aircraft, officials said.
After landing at the airport in Chhattisgarh, the aeroplane was thoroughly checked by security personnel, but nothing suspicious was found. The passenger was arrested, they said.
The flight 6E-812, with 187 passengers and six crew members on board, landed at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur sometime after 9 am following the passenger's claim, said Raipur SSP
Santosh Singh.
As per preliminary information, Animesh Mandal told the crew about the presence of a "bomb" in the flight when it was mid-air, he said.
The Air Traffic Control was immediately informed and the flight was diverted to Raipur. Upon landing, the aircraft was immediately taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks, the police official said. A police team along with a bomb detection and disposal squad reached the airport. All passengers were de-boarded and the aircraft and luggage in it were thoroughly checked by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Raipur police personnel, he said.
The autopsy report of the 31-year-old tribal woman, who was killed in Manipur's violence-hit Jiribam district on November 7, revealed that she was subjected to third-degree torture and suffered 99 per cent burns.
The report of the autopsy, which was carried out at Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam on November 9, said several body parts and limbs were missing and viscera for chemical analysis could not be collected as most parts were charred and unrecognisable. It also added that the brain tissue was found wrapped in a plastic tissue that was liquefied and decomposed.
The body of the woman, a mother of three, was found at her home at Zairawn village following an attack by a group of armed militants on November 7. "Death was due to shock as a result of third-degree mixed flame ante-mortem burns as described which covered 99 per cent of total body surface area," the report stated as the cause of her death.
According to the report, the hospital received a completely charred body along with burnt bone fragments, devoid of healthy soft tissues. "Right upper limb and parts of both lower limbs and the facial structure found missing," it stated.
The report further said that vaginal smear for microscopic analysis could not be taken as body parts were "completely charred and not recognisable".
"Viscera for chemical analysis could not be collected as most parts were charred and unrecognisable or missing. Burnt and separated fragments of bone did not show any signs of vital reaction indicating the post mortem nature of separation," it added.
The body was also found with deep penetrating wounds, and a metallic nail was found embedded in the left thigh.
Highlighting the unimaginable condition of the body and torture meted out on her, the report said, "Burnt and separated fragments of bone did not show any signs of vital reaction indicating the post mortem nature of separation."
More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence in the northeastern state since May last year. Ethnically diverse Jiribam, which was largely untouched by the clashes in Imphal Valley and the adjoining hills, witnessed violence after the mutilated body of a farmer was found in a field in June this year.
Commission orders action against farm fire violators, erring officials
As the air quality index (AQI) continued to zoom upwards across the Malwa and Majha regions in Punjab and residents complained of uneasiness in breathing, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has asked state’s civil and police officials to take a strict stance against violators indulging in burning of paddy stubble and the officials who fail to control farm fires. Air quality in the region remained in the “poor” or “very poor” category, with Amritsar recording an AQI of 310 and Mandi Gobindgarh 322. Chandigarh saw the worst air quality in the region at 384. Though the reason for the poor air quality is the fall in temperature, resulting in
higher air density and moisture, which does not allow pollutants to dissipate, but the rising farm fire incidents are also adding to the problem. As many as 509 incidents were reported on Wednesday, taking the total farm fire incidents this season to 7,621.
During a review meeting on paddy stubble management, chaired by CAQM Chairman Rajesh Verma with Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, all officers were reportedly asked by the former about the action taken by them against violators and officials responsible for controlling farm fires. They were instructed to deal with the show-cause notices issued to officials within a week.
Why BJP should reassure Punjab & why I quit: Jakhar
The Congress and AAP governments have made a mockery of Punjab, but the BJP cannot let the state go to the dogs, former state BJP president Sunil Jakhar has said in an exclusive interview with The Tribune.
Jakhar, who quit the BJP’s top position some days ago, said there were a lot of misperceptions that the party was battling, including on the absorption of Sikhism by Hinduism, “which PM Modi has made clear that it won’t happen”.
He said he had resigned as the party chief because he felt morally responsible for the its failure to win any seats during the Lok Sabha elections, despite a vote share of 18.3 per cent, but insisted that he would never rejoin his old party, the Congress, which he had served for 50 years.
“Rahul Gandhi has no control over the party because it has multiple factions,” Jakhar said, going on to ask, plaintively, “Which Congress should I join?” He said several state party leaders like Charanjit Channi and Ambika Soni had created deep fissures and that he had felt deeply hurt when
because he was a Hindu and was subsequently peremptorily removed from the party.
“After 50 years, if the high command cannot even talk to me on the telephone, at least ask me what is happening?” Jakhar said. He said he joined the BJP shortly after, aiming to protect Punjab from identity politics. He acknowledged he had not fully succeeded. He admitted the BJP may not have fully understood Punjab. He underlined the importance of understanding Punjab’s unique psyche and communicating effectively with its people. “Punjabis think differently... We have our own identity,” he added.
Regarding the paddy procurement crisis, he attributed the issue to the delayed milling policy announcement by the state government, which usually takes a month to implement. He noted that the policy was declared on September 4, leaving insufficient time for preparation.
Jakhar emphasised the lack of coordination between the BJP-led central government and the AAP-led state government, citing the absence of
