Several Indo-Canadians charged in connection with sexual assault incidents | World News

Toronto: In recent days, several Indo-Canadians have been arrested in connection with sexual assault cases.

On Wednesday, the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that charges had been filed against 24-year-old Jatinder Singh, a resident of the Surrey town, in an alleged sexual assault following an investigation that began on July 20.

At 3:15 a.m. local time, police responded to a report of an alleged stranger sexual assault. “The victim stated that she was awakened by a man groping her in her apartment. The victim screamed for help and the suspect fled,” the press release said. Jatinder Singh was also charged with burglary. He appeared in court on August 16 but was released on conditions, including that he not have any contact or communication with the victim and not come within 50 meters of her.

Also on Wednesday, Waterloo Regional Police said they were looking for a person in connection with a sexual assault in the city of Kitchener on Aug. 10. The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Sukhmanjot Singh, who has ties to Waterloo Region and Peel Region and is “considered armed and dangerous.”

On Tuesday, police in Winnipeg, Manitoba, said they had arrested and charged 34-year-old Gurpreet Vehniwal. Police previously responded to an alleged kidnapping incident on August 16. A news release said the victim had been “confronted” in his home three days earlier by two men, one of whom he knew. He was allegedly beaten and kidnapped and “driven to an unknown location where he was sexually assaulted and his cellphone and passport were taken. He was eventually released and subsequently called police.”

Vehniwal faces several charges, including robbery, kidnapping and sexual abuse.

The cases reported this week are another that have been occurring with increasing frequency in recent months. On July 27, Dr. Sunilkumar Patel, 36, a dentist with a practice in the town of Ajax, was charged with two counts of sexual assault. He was released on a conditional release. This came after a patient visited the dental clinic on July 13 and twice accused him of touching her “inappropriately,” according to Durham Regional Police, who fear there may have been more victims.

At the beginning of July, a 25-year-old man was arrested but later released from custody. He was accused of groping a dozen people, including minors, at a water park in Moncton, New Brunswick.

On July 12, Surrey RCMP announced that 59-year-old Ajastar Singh was charged with sexual assault and sexual abuse of a person under the age of 16. The charges were made in connection with an investigation that began in May of last year. On May 4, 2023, Surrey RCMP responded to a report that a 15-year-old youth had been sexually assaulted in or around the Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran in Surrey, British Columbia. The suspect was an employee of the Gurdwara.

On July 4, Ajastar Singh was arrested and arraigned on the two offences. He was released pending a future court date on conditions that include not having contact with children under 16, not attending public areas where children under 16 are likely to be present, and not taking up employment or volunteering that involves working with children under 16.