CHANDIGARH: Three Indian-origin youths from Punjab have been sentenced by a Canadian court after pleading guilty in what Canadian police describe as among the first extortion-related convictions in the province of British Columbia.
The three were convicted for their involvement in an extortion-linked shooting at a residence in Surrey.
They will serve their sentences in Canada, following which deportation proceedings may be initiated. It is learnt that Taranveer Singh (19 years at the time of the incident), Harjot Singh (21), and Dayajeet Singh Billing (21) pleaded guilty in Surrey Provincial Court on June 9.
The charges against them relate to an incident that took place in the early hours of February 1 when shots were fired at a house in the Crescent Beach neighbourhood near Crescent Road and 132 Street in Surrey.
A minor fire was also reported outside the residence. No injuries were reported. Later, the Surrey Police Service linked the attack to ongoing extortion threats in the area.
All three accused were arrested shortly after the incident by officers from the Surrey Police Service’s Project Assurance anti-extortion patrol and Major Crime Section. Police had described them as foreign nationals and also engaged the Canada Border Services Agency.
While Taranveer Singh pleaded guilty to reckless discharge of a firearm and was sentenced to five years in prison, after credit for time served, he will serve nearly 4.5 more years behind bars. W
Dayajeet Billing and Harjot Singh pleaded guilty to throwing an explosive substance and were sentenced to just over two years each in prison.
After credit for time served, Billings will spend another 20 months behind bars, while Harjot Singh will serve 18 more months, followed by two years of probation each.
Surrey Police Service Staff Sgt Lindsey Houghton said that he thinks these are the first convictions and sentencing in any of their extortion files, and in fact, they may actually be some of the first in British Columbia. "So hopefully that is the start of a trend where we see more guilty pleas and more sentences," he added.
He further said that none of the youths was charged with extortion, but police believe the attack was extortion-related. He said all three will serve their sentences in Canada, and that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will take calls.
In a statement, the CBSA stated that it is legally obligated to remove foreign nationals found to be inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.