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Jaspal Atwal arrested last month for threats to radio jockey
The person who filed the complaint against Jaspal Atwal is believed to be a local radio host and the charges are apparently related to an altercation between him and Atwal last month.
Jaspal Atwal, the man at the centre of a controversy that crippled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India in February, was briefly arrested by Canadian police last month for allegedly uttering threats against another person.
Atwal was taken into custody last month by the Surrey unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and held overnight, but released after making an appearance before a judge. The charges against him relate to “one count of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm”, according to a report in the Toronto Sun.
He is scheduled to make an appearance before a local court in that context on March 24 and is believed to have retained Surrey-based criminal lawyer Marvin Stern to represent him.
The person who filed the complaint against Atwal is believed to be a local radio host and the charges are apparently related to an altercation between him and Atwal last month, according to a source. That person is also believed to have complained to police about Atwal nearly eight months ago, prior to the ruckus created by Atwal’s presence at an official event in honour of Trudeau in Mumbai.
Atwal, who was convicted of an attempt to assassinate a visiting minister from Punjab in the mid-1980s, was photographed at the Mumbai event with the Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and cabinet ministers Navdeep Bains, Harjit Sajjan and Amarjeet Sohi.
He was also invited to an official reception at the Canadian high commissioner’s residence in New Delhi but that was rescinded after Canadian media reported on Atwal’s presence at the Mumbai do.
Subsequently, Canada’s National Security Advisor Daniel Jean briefed select members of the media on the matter, giving rise to the theory that “rogue elements” in the Indian establishment had planted Atwal in India to sabotage Trudeau’s trip. The allegation, rubbished by the Indian government, continues to hamper bilateral ties.
