Amarjeet Singh Sandoa, who faces molestation charges, and Kultar Singh Sandhwan were questioned by immigration staff in Ottawa and made to board a flight back to India.
Chandigarh: Two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs from Punjab, Amarjeet Singh Sandoa and Kultar Singh Sandhwan, were denied entry into Canada over the weekend for reasons not immediately clear.
It is suspected that a criminal case Sandoa faces for alleged molestation and criminal intimidation may have played a role in the decision, with a former AAP volunteer claiming he had tipped the Canadian immigration authorities off about it.
The two MLAs had landed at the Ottawa international airport Sunday, but were asked to return after being questioned by the immigration authorities. They will arrive back in India Monday. Sandhwan’s Ottawa-based sister is now believed to have sought the help of Sikh members of the Canadian parliament to help the two enter the country.
Very little information was available about what really happened at the airport. Sources said the two were questioned about the purpose of their visit at the airport and Sandoa was unable to explain his case well. Sandhwan managed to convince the immigration authorities that he was there to visit his sister, but was denied entry as he was accompanying Sandoa, the sources added.
A former AAP member, Dr Amandeep Singh Bains, claimed that he and other former volunteers of the party had been “in touch” with the Canadian authorities about the criminal case against Sandoa.
Bains, a Ludhiana-based dental surgeon, said that when he came to know about Sandoa’s planned visit to Canada last week, he wrote a series of emails to the Canadian Border Services Agency (its border and immigration enforcement agency) and the country’s immigration minister, Ahmed Hussen. “Canadian immigration authorities take allegations of sexual crimes very seriously. We told them that Sandoa was charged with molesting and assaulting a woman,” he added.
“I am grateful that the Canadian authorities acted promptly on our complaint,” Bains said, adding that he had no clue why Sandhwan was sent back. “We have never complained against him,” he added.
Some reports suggest that Sandhwan, known to be quick-tempered, reportedly intervened when Sandoa was being questioned and argued with the immigration staff, which is why he was barred entry too, sources said.
Both the MLAs were on a private trip to Canada.
AAP Punjab chief Dr Balbir Singh said he cannot comment on the development till he had more information about the episode. Meanwhile, the party’s Toronto unit head, Surinder Singh Mavi, just confirmed to a local news channel that the two were on their way back to India.
The criminal charges against MLA
Sandoa, the party’s MLA from Ropar, was booked last July for the alleged molestation and criminal intimidation of a former landlady. According to the alleged victim, Sandoa had abused and assaulted her when asked to pay his dues. A day before Sandoa left for Canada, a local court had framed charges against him in the case. He had, however, asked for and received the court’s permission to go abroad.
Last month, Sandoa had sought to expose an alleged illegal land mining scam in Ropar and was thrashed at the site by the alleged miner, Ajwinder Singh. Ajwinder, a former associate of Sandoa, said the MLA was trying to extort money from him, allegations Sandoa denied.
Sandoa started out as a taxi driver in 1997 and subsequently shifted to Delhi. By the time he was offered an AAP ticket to contest from the Ropar assembly seat in the 2016 election, he had a flourishing transport company. He defeated former education minister and senior Akali leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema to win the seat.
‘Angry man’ Sandhwan
Within the party, Sandoa is said to be close to Sandhwan, the MLA for Kotkapura and a philanthropist. During the assembly’s budget session this March, the two had refused to follow the party’s decision to walk out over the issue of drugs.
Last month, Sandhwan lost his temper with journalists when, at a press meet, they asked questions on subjects other than the stated purpose of the interaction.
In March, a spat ensued when Sandhwan alleged that Faridkot additional deputy commissioner Keshav Hingonia had not shown him the respect due to MLAs. Sandhwan said that when he went to Hingonia’s office with party workers to submit a memorandum, the police officer had refused to get up, and instead asked him to leave. Footage of the spat shows Sandhwan rebuking Hingonia, who then replies that Sandhwan “is not the government, only an MLA”.