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New Delhi: In an alarming incident, a 51-year-old Indian man on a tourist visa in Canada has been convicted and will be deported. He will also be banned from re-entering the country.
The man is called Jagjit Singh, who arrived in Ontario in July to meet his newborn grandchild. However, now, he will have to come back to India.
Singh has been convicted of criminally harassing two teenage girls near their school. Canadian Police said that soon after he arrived in Canada, Singh started frequently visiting the smoking area outside a high school in the Sarnia region. There, Singh allegedly sexually assaulted and harassed young girls. The Canadian media said that between September 8 and 11, Singh repeatedly approached them, tried to take photos with them, and spoke to them about drugs and alcohol.
One of the complainants told police that she initially declined Singh's request for a photo but later agreed hoping that he would leave afterwards, according to a report by The Winnipeg Sun.
However, he reportedly "placed himself in her personal space" and made an attempt to put an arm around her. The girl became uncomfortable, got up, and pushed his hands aside. Investigators also said that Singh, who does not speak English, allegedly followed female students as they walked off the school premises.
On September 16, Singh was arrested. He was charged with sexual interference and sexual assault. Later, Singh was released on bail a few days but was rearrested when another complaint from the same day surfaced. The next day, he was granted bail again. However, Singh spent an additional night in custody because no interpreter was available.
On September 19, Singh pleaded not guilty to sexual interference but guilty to the lesser charge of criminal harassment in a Sarnia courtroom. The judge underlined that Singh had "no business attending at the property of (that) high school". Justice Krista Lynn Leszczynski said: “This type of conduct will not be tolerated."
Singh's lawyer told the judge that the 51-year-old had a ticket to return to India on December 30. However, the judge ordered his deportation and barred him from re-entering Canada.
